With the New Day
by Cryostasis
Summary: Yanked suddenly from his old life, a boy with very little magic must learn to thrive in a place where magic IS life.
1. Chapter 1 Starting Over

Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha is owned and writen by Masaki Tsuzuki. All refferences to other fanfiction is property of their original writers. Please don't hate me!

This chapter is very autobiographical. I didn't intend to give you his entire lifes story, I was just trying to use it as a means of developing the zeitgeist of the story. The rest will be normal, I promise you.

**Calendar Year 0068, March 4**

I don't really know how to do this, but I'm afraid that if I don't write it down, I'd lose my mind. So much has happened, and many of my old memories appear to be fading, so in fear of the future, I hope this will help me to remember.

My name is Ethan Frist, and I'm 10 years old. I don't know how true that really is, since I can remember a time more than 10 years ago when that wasn't the case, but right now the body I feel, and the hands I control belong to the 10 year old child of Margaret and Joseph Frist. Ethan's birthday was yesterday, and I found myself enjoying it like it was my own, which brought on the revelation and the desire to log everything.

I, that is to say, Ethan, currently lives in a modest apartment deep in the urban city of Flaken, in the south side of country of Great Milta, on the planet of Mid-Childa. My…that is to say Ethan's father is a B ranked Mage for the Time Space Administration Bureau - Ground Arms Division, which is why we live in this foreign city so far away from the capitol.

I remember being Fujisoma Naoko, a young man living by himself in a small apartment in the Fussa prefecture of Tokyo, In the island country of Japan, on the Planet Terra (sometimes known as Earth). I, That is to say Naoko, can remember watching and enjoying a couple of series of Anime known as "Mahou Shoujou Lyrical Nanoha", the world of which I have found myself in for the last 7 years.

This sounds awfully confusing, even to me, and I'm the one writing this, so perhaps I should start from the beginning and simply retale my memories;

The year was Gregorian calendar year 2010. My name was Fijisoma Naoko, and I've already mentioned the living arrangements, save to say that Fussa was right next to that American Military Base, and everyone knows how crazy those gaijin can be with their experiments and stuff, so I blame them. Anyway, I was 23 years old, a 4th year in collage (Tokyo Collage of Engineering), and 4 months away from graduating before I took a job at Subaru auto industries as a low level tech.

Despite my chosen career field, I was a clear cut Otaku, who grew up watching and discussing and living the Anime genre. I was apart of the Anime club at collage, participated in the creation of a few Doujinshi we sold at Comiket, and was even fluent in English (necessary for my career, but helpful since I found that one thing those damn Americans were good at was Fanfiction…occasionally).

The last thing I remember, as Naoko, was coming home on Saturday evening, after my Part time job as a cook at a local Ramenya (Saturday classes end early). I watched a few episodes of the original Nanoha series (it was Magical Girl month at the club), then laid down for a quick nap, my alarm set for midnight so I could watch the new shows before crashing for real.

I don't remember falling asleep, or what I dreamt about, or if I even had a dream, only that I woke up to an unfamiliar alarm and found myself in an unfamiliar room.

I was instantly alert, which is unusual for me, both of me, and the first thing I noticed in the morning light was that everything looked clean, ridiculously modern, and HUGE! Like I was in a giant's house or something. The next thing I noticed was the railing on the side of my huge bed, a railing I soon realized was to keep me from falling off the bed in my sleep, because the room wasn't really that big, it was me who was that small. I was a 3 year old again.

Now I had seen this sort of thing numerous times in Anime and Fanfiction. One of my favorite expressions when faced with unusual or un-prepared for situations was "Saotome School of being in over your damn head – Shut up and Stall for time!" However, reading about it and actually experiencing it are two different matters. I got scared, and I panicked. Through my panicked screams I wet myself, and fell out of bed anyway in a futile attempt to run for the door and run away until things made sense. Futile, because It's been more than 20 years since I was so young, and I don't even remember when I was originally 10, let alone 3, so I stumbled at least twice with every step. Hurt a little too.

The door slid open, and two adults I later learned were this body's parents came in to investigate the commotion. The woman (my mother?), cradled me to her breast and said soothing things to try and calm me down, while the man (my father?), true to military fashion, immediately investigated every nook and cranny to try and find what had caused me to panic. When he didn't find anything, he joined his wife in the consoling.

I did calm down a lot, and finally noticed that they were talking in a language that I couldn't even recognize, letalone understand. When I tried to ask what the hell was going on and who they were and where was I, you know, the usual things someone asks when they're in another dimension and chronologically challenged, I eventually noticed that they were giving me, and each other, uncomprehending looks, as if they couldn't understand what I was saying either.

Needless to say, like the good parents they are, I found myself sitting in a hospital room less than a half and hour later. I gawked at how similar it looked to the room Nanoha was in when her Linker Core was stolen, but hadn't really made the full association yet. All I was able to see was that wherever I was, it was definitely many more times advanced than my Japan, and Japan was the most technologically developed country in the world! So, add two and two together and I'm not in Japan anymore Todo.

Anyway, shortly thereafter a kindly middle-aged doctor looking person walked in, spoke briefly with the parents in that weird language, then began to examine me, to my awe, using tools that never touched me save for some beams of soft light.

On the ride over to the hospital, I had Finally calmed down mostly and remembered some of the things I learned about these kinds of unnatural situations, which I was only half able to review as my attention kept being drawn to the windows of the car, and the view of the futuristic city outside. The mother kept trying to talk to me as I sat on her lap, and I kept trying to talk to her as well. Apparently, the language that is native here, that this body must have been learning to speak before I possessed it, is different enough from Japanese and English that I couldn't properly form the words I want to say at the speed I'm comfortable with, so I had to force myself to slow down and carefully annunciate every word, which oddly enough made me sound indeed like a young child. The task was so hard though that I simply decided to stop trying, and settled deeper into her lap as I gazed out the window.

I never much liked that damn Skysaber, but one thing he got right was the sheer comfort laps can be to sit on when you're young.

I keep digressing. I've got to stop that. Anyway, when the doctor tried to talk to me, I decided to try again, in hopes that maybe these parents are just weird and the doctor could actually answer in a language I can understand. To my (pleasant) surprise, after only a few words, suddenly Everyone began speaking fluent Japanese, though the lip sync was off. Whatever this hospital was, it apparently was equipped with some kind of universal translator, and the controlling computer had the courtesy to realize that if I'm speaking Japanese, then maybe I'd like to hear everything in Japanese as well. I liked this place more and more.

Well the doctor asked me a few questions, such as do I know where I am or what today's date is, most of which I answered with "I don't know" or some variation thereof. When the questions got more complicated, I was afraid of what would happen if I told them the truth (if they even believed it), so I copped out with an "I don't remember". Apparently satisfied, the doctor bid the parents to wait for a few moments, and then left.

We waited there for an hour or so, including a light breakfast brought in by a pretty nurse in response to my stomach growling, and spend the time asking each other questions. I couldn't ask or answer much because trying to was making my mouth sore, so the only thing I learned was that the body I'm in is named Ethan Frist, and is the only son of the two adults before me.

Eventually the doctor came back and ushered the parents outside the door. The door was still open, so I carefully made my way to it so that I could listen in. Bless the nice computer that continued to translate their words for me when I was in earshot.

"Your son is perfectly healthy, I can assure you." Said the doctor. "I just spoke with the Naval division, and they confirmed a small dimensional disturbance around your area earlier this morning. It appears that Ethan was affected by the disturbance on a psychic level, where his memory was suppressed by one of his past lives from another world. Young children are susceptible to this sort of thing unfortunately. I can assure you however that it is temporary, and given time those memories will fade and you'll have your son back."

The mother was almost in tears, lamenting at the woe of her son or something. The father was more calm however. "How long would that take?" he asked the doctor.

"I'm sorry, I don't know. Could be tonight, could be next month. It depends on the strength of the past personality. The longest I've ever seen it take is 6 months however, so please bring him back in 3 for a checkup."

The father nodded. "Is there anything else? Anything we could do to help?"

"Oh yes! You will probably have to teach your son most of the basics again, such as speaking, reading, chores, etc. Having your son re-acquainted with his life will speed the process of his recovery though, and I'm sure you'll find that he learns it much faster than before."

After a few more small words, the father thanked the doctor and we all left for home.

Much of this event is hazy in my mind by now, I'm sure there was a lot of conversation that I missed, but hopefully the important points were covered.

There was one more thing about this first event I should point out. As we went to the hospital, the mother held me on her lap, holding me tightly and lovingly. I didn't pay too much attention to it at the time, focused too much on my own what-the-hell situation. In the hospital, She cried and lamented and got over-emotional, especially at the verdict that "Her son is (temporarily) gone!" however I kept to an impartial emotion on the matter. She's not my mother, plus the professional doctor was saying everything's gonna be alright. Stop being such a bitch on the matter!

On the ride back however, I sat on her lap again, but things were different. She wasn't holding me tightly and securely, it was almost as if she didn't want to hold me. Her legs were pinched tightly closed, her hands just barely holding the edge of my sides, and her arms twitching in that way indicating that she really wanted to push me away. I looked up at her, and through her tear stained face, she forced on a smile for me, a smile that couldn't hide the look in her eyes.

She was afraid of me.

She was afraid of her son.

She was afraid of her 3 year old son, because of me.

I cannot describe how much that hurt me, so early in the morning so early in this new life to have felt myself done so much wrong, but I can't help but think now that it was one of the reasons that became what I am.

**Calendar Year 0068, March 7**

I got into a fight in school today. That idiot Kirk. He's one of those pompous aristocratic types always boasting about how powerful his family is and how great a Mage he's going to become some day. Reminds me a lot of Draco Malfoy.

Well I finally got fed up with his pointless boasting, so I called him out. "If you're so high and mighty, Why are you still in school with the rest of us norms, huh?" It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that my own Linker Core was so pathetically small, right? No, of course not. He was just a jerk. The poking probably didn't help.

We argued a little, growing angrier and angrier with each other until I finally got fed up and socked him in the jaw. At that point his two lackeys (told you he was like Draco) grabbed me and held me while Kirk violated a major taboo by casting a simple attack spell unlicensed at me. He got it off, but I was able to pull one of his lackeys in front of me to take the attack. He went down, and I was able to throw off the other guy and tackle Kirk before he could finish casting it again. Then the fight went off in earnest until the teachers finally showed up to break us apart.

I threw the first blow, so the fight was considered my fault, so I was suspended for 2 days. I took some major consolidation in that Kirk violating the magic taboo had him sent to Juvee for a week.

What does this have to do with anything? Nothing much, other than it finally gives me the time to continue recapping my earlier life;

That first week in this new life was depressing, and unendingly long. The Mother's nerves were shot the whole time, the Father took leave from the bureau to aid in his sons' recovery, and I found myself spinning through the 8 stages of emotions preceding my own doom.

I was in Mid-Childa. The world of Takamachi Nanoha. Magic was useable, adventures abound, plus the whole re-doing your childhood concept. I should have been ecstatic!

That wasn't the case though. I thought I was a healthy, ordinary collage student with much of my life to look forward too. Instead, I find myself trapped in a strange place, and told that I have at absolute most 6 months left to live.

I imagine that getting a terminal condition like this one in my home life would have been different, because once I learned to accept it, I'd have been able to go off and enjoy all the things I've wanted to do. I can't even do that here, because not only am I a mere 3 year old again, physically incapable of doing anything that I wanted to do before (if any of them were even available in this world), but I'm not even me, just a "possession" that the parents want out of their child.

I still did everything I had to. I did the chores, brushed my teeth, ate my vegetables, but no matter what I did, it wasn't really me. Every time I looked at the Mother, she would see the intelligence in my eyes that shouldn't be there and nearly break out in tears again. Every time I saw that look it sent new waves of shame through me, all adding to a vicious spiral that made me suicidal… except it's not really me so I couldn't even do that.

Throughout it all, I kept a hold of a small, selfish desire to stay and live, lamenting at my fate and revolting against my destiny, but it was fleeting.

A week later, I was standing on a stool absentmindedly brushing my teeth when I caught myself trying to rub at my scar, only to remember that it wasn't there.

When I was younger, I was one of the victims of a tragic car accident. The driver (drunk) fell asleep, pressed down on the accelerator, and drove head first into the corner of a building. A couple of people were run over, and the car itself exploded, sending debree flying everywhere, killing a few more and injuring many, myself included. I was lucky, a piece of metal grazed my temple and I got a few bruises, however the head wound left a thin scar across the left side of my forehead. Ever since then, I'd developed a habit of rubbing it, gleaning a small amount of comfort in being able to feel those thin groves and bumps.

In front of that mirror in this new world, when I felt not an old wound but unbroken skin, I finally took a good hard look at myself. Brown fluffy hair instead of strait black, Dirt brown eyes, large puffy nose. That's not me I see in the mirror. That child is looking at me, moving like I'm moving, but it's not me. Whoever this child once was, or may become, it's not me or mine. I've always considered myself a good, honorable Japanese man. I don't know if I really died or not, but I know that I shouldn't be here. With a heavy sigh I resolved myself to my fate, and went to grab the parents.

In a moment, I had them sitting in the living room. I pulled out the portable translator (courtesy of the hospital), got down on my knees, and put my hands and forehead into the carpet. "I'm sorry" I said. I wasn't sure how the natives did this sort of thing, but since this was going to be my last act as me, I'll do it my way. "My name is Fijisoma Naoko. I don't know how I got here but I shouldn't be here. It wouldn't be right for you or your son."

Both of the parents were a little taken aback at the admission. The Mother tried to say something, but the father put his hand on her shoulder and shook his head before beckoning for me to continue.

"I want to help fix this. The doctor said that treating me like your son will help, and I don't know enough to contradict that. For now, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to end this." I finished by bowing my head again.

The Mother fled the room, tears she thought long since dried flowing down her face again. The father looked her way in concern for a moment before laying his hand on my shoulder. "Thank you" he said gently. "That took a lot of courage." My opinion of the man, as high as it was, went up significantly more when he said that. I didn't think people like that existed, not really. "Is Ethan in there at all, that you can tell?"

I hung my head in shame. "I don't know. I haven't been able to notice anything." I said honestly. On introspective, using knowledge I gleaned from various works of fiction in my previous life, I wasn't able to see anything of the original. All of the mannerisms were mine, all of the emotions were mine, and all of the recognitions, as few as there were after a mere week in this world, were mine.

According to the Unified Theory of Possession (Ghostly Light, an Anime about a ghost who possessed people in order to help them resolve their problems), even if the memories aren't retained from the host, certain unconscious features bleed through, such as the familiarity of a favorite smell. Not that I should go believing an anime as truth, but it's all I had to go on, and there was literally nothing there that I didn't remember as being my own.

"Admittedly, it's only been a week." I added. "If I notice anything before I fade, I'll be sure to tell you. Again, I'm so sorry"

The father sat back and smiled gently. "You are a very polite young man, Mr. Naoko, and I at least believe you hold no fault in this. I still have another week off. Do you have any suggestions on what to do now?"

I looked towards the bedroom door. "I think momma needs you more than I do right now…" I looked at him and forced an embarrassed smile "but after that, could you teach me how to talk again?"

The Father gave me an odd smile that I couldn't place right away. After exchanging a few more words, he left to console his wife as I put the portable translator away for the last time.

I didn't notice it for quite some time, but when I said "momma" that time, it was in Childian, and the way their 3 year-old was used to saying it.

****

The rest of that day was somewhat awkward. The Mother, despite the emotional wreck she was, tried hard to act normal around me. I learned years later through overheard conversation that the Father had noticed my slipup and used it to glean words of hope into the Mother's ears, which helped her behavior immensely. She still acted nervous around me, but it slowly faded.

Instruction in language started almost right away. Now I had heard that younger children learn faster, but I had no idea HOW much faster it really was. Within the week I already had a solid conversational foundation. Mostly "I want" or "I am" with a bunch of common household nouns and verbs, but I was radically impressed nonetheless. For a moment there, I thought that this body was some sort of child genius, but a quick attempt at a logic problem (math, at least the numbers were the same) disproved that theory. It was just young, normal, and driven by experienced concentration.

After mulling over it a couple of nights, I figured that the fastest way revert to a 3 year old would be to act like one. It wasn't a complete 3-year-old-mode, just a conscious effort to mimic what I remember little children being like. I spoke in simple words (even after I learned better ones to use), played with whatever toys I could find, and refused to eat any vegetables that didn't have melted cheese on it. The parents could tell that it was an act, but an act that must have been working, because even I started to notice some of the slipups that occurred, such as the day the Father's brother came over, and I immediately shouted "Unca!" at him.

And so it continued. Once I got used to always acting like the child, I just let go and continued, content that things will go back to normal for the family and justice be done, until the day I finally fade.

****

6 months later, it was afternoon naptime at the daycare center, but I wasn't sleeping. Instead, I was using it as a moment of quiet to drop the act and mull.

The doctor had clearly said "no more than 6 months", yet here I was, still recognizing myself as Naoko, with all of his memories. I wasn't sure what it meant, and I was a little worried.

I had the act down to an art form by then. In my previous life, I was always a child in an adult's body, taking amusement from the smallest of things, so when I had the opportunity to exploit that side of me without shaming myself in the eyes of society, I took to it like a magnet.

By then, both of the parents, and even the good doctor, were convinced that "I" had fully faded and "Ethan" returned. The father even tested that once, which I accidentally passed. He called out "Naoko-san!" once when calling me for dinner. I was concentrating on fitting the two sides of that ball back together, so I didn't respond, but when he called out a second time, this time as "Ethan!", then I realized that he called twice, so it must be important, and looked up.

I didn't have the heart to give up the act though. As an honorable Japanese man, I always stuck to my convictions and my word, so even though I 'Should" have said something to someone, I knew deep in my heart that I wouldn't.

So there I was, successfully pretending to be someone that I'm not. As I thought about it, it seemed more and more likely that I was going to be stuck as this "Ethan" for the rest of his life, and since I wasn't going to blow the lid on it, the next question is "What do I want to do with this life?"

I knew by then that I was in the Nanoha anime world. In the last 6 months, even with a father in the Bureau, I haven't heard anything about those 3 Aces, Admittedly, I couldn't for the life of me remember when those lost logia incidents occurred, so it could have very well not happened yet, and it also could very well not happen at all. I can't just assume that since this is that "world", that those "events" are going to happen.

I *Did* happen to once hear about an Admiral Clyde Harlaown who died a few years before during a Lost Logia incident, leaving behind his wife and only son. If I'm going to be in an Anime universe, I'd very much like to meet the characters I grew to enjoy, so at the very least Chrono is available.

Other than that little selfish request, What should I do? Since the father is a Bureau mage, I would hope that this body has a Linker Core, because Magic is a MUST. If I'm the self insert I imagine myself becoming, then my Linker Core would be amazingly big, and I'd accidently find an ancient powerful Intelligent Device or something, allowing me to quickly keep up with or even surpass the local Aces.

One can dream, right? Realistically speaking, when I was old enough I'd probably join the Bureau myself and simply feel my way through.

That was all a whiles away yet. For now, I was finally tired and closed my eyes to nap.

Only for the lights to come on and the activities resume.

**Calendar Year 0068, April 20**

Yaay! 4-20! National weed day! What a pity that I'm still only 10, and that Marijuana has been completely eliminated from this world.

No, I never used Pot in my old life (I tried Ecstasy once), but any opportunity to celebrate is an opportunity worth taking. I mean, There was Golden week, a few isolated holidays, and birthdays, and that was about it in Japan. One of the few things I envied about those Americans is that they had at least one holiday off-day a month! Otherwise, the droll of going to school 6 days a week, 10 months a year really starts to take it's toll, so we all learned to make our fun and celebrate everything.

Sure, 4-20 doesn't exist in this world. There actually isn't a regular holiday for another 6 weeks yet, but the mentality is still there, and many of my classmates really took to the idea, so when I "randomly" invented a cause for celebration, they all jumped at the idea and we all went out for Karaoke.

Because of the ignorance of marijuana, I had to make something up, and the rule of thumb was to celebrate something that made sense, even if it was minor. No pure randomness. Luckily, there was one thing that came to mind.

Children here start official schooling at a mere 4 years old. That's incredibly early in life in my opinion, but the culture here has it's reasons, and to their credit, people who are 15 or even younger are regularly making strong positive impacts on society.

Despite the youth in which people become constructive members of adulthood, most of our childhood restrictions aren't lifted until we turn 20. Alcohol, Smoking, Marriage, childbirth, etc.

Therefore, the 4-20 celebration, "From 4 To 20", celebrating the 16 years of oppression before we finally become free. Stupid, I know, but whatever. It worked. It was a lot of fun, and Mika already suggested an After 4-20 party at the arcade tomorrow.

Like everyone else, I started elementary school when I was 4. Back then it surprised the hell out of me. 4!? We don't even have the concentration to watch a TV show to the end yet at 4 (usually), letalone sit through entire classes!

Apparently I forgot what Elementary school was really like. Much like Day Care, there were no desks, just a big open room with lots of pads and shelves upon shelves of toys and such. Most of those toys (which we had scheduled times to play with) were educational, such as the World Map Puzzle, or the Problem Solver video game (earn a fireman so you can put out the fires, or a gardener to help grow pretty flowers, etc.), and there was still a designated nap time right after story telling time (that oddly only told family friendly versions of true history).

I thought it was great. I get to play around and be a child yet still learn all the things I needed to learn about this world. I had already figured out that if I'm going to maintain the façade of being an ordinary child, I'd need to make sure to only get decent to good grades, and I was worried about how difficult it would be to fake ignorance on many of the subjects that I'm already well versed in, such as Math and ….well… Ok, just math, but still!

Whoever designed the schooling system here, is a fucking Genius! One of the so called "games" we played in class was a version to story time. We all take out chairs from a closet, line them up real neat, and part of the game is to stay seated until the end. While we were sitting there, the teacher would read a simple story, and we had to talk about what parts of the story meant. Good answers and attention earned the student points towards candy, better toys, or other benefits. After a few of these sessions, the teacher "accidently" let slip that writing down parts of the story you thought important earned bonus points

As the year dragged on, this game was played more and more often, from once a week to thrice a week until the end of the year when it was played two to three times a day! By then the stories varied from word problems to history lessons to good manners.

I was extremely mightily impressed at how by the beginning of our second year, everyone around me just naturally assumed that we're supposed to sit at the desk and take notes to the lecture.

Other than that, there was only one more things I can think to mention about that first year of school, and it's a point of heavy shame for me. Mid-way through the year, we had a light medical checkup, where they actually examined our Linker Cores for the first time. I was more nervous about it than anyone else, because this could make or break my plans for the future (not that there were many yet).

DOOOOOOM!!!!! My linker core was pathetic. It was small, hard to see, and worth very little by way of magic power. Oh, they didn't say that, they just said that my core was healthy and that I'd make a fine mage some day if I worked hard at it, but I was able to sneak a glance at the results from the rest of my class, and some of those numbers were just staggering (20,000 max potential for me, 1,000,000 max potential for quiet little Nancy? No thank you.).

I'll admit, and it was a great point of consultation to myself, was that my Linker Core was NOT the smallest there. It was pretty far down there, but there were a few lower. Also, about half of the class read as magic null, with no Linker Cores, so simply having one set me up over half the class in popularity.

Regardless, I naturally lamented to myself at my dashed dreams. With my core at it's size, I'll never be able to fly (which I always wanted to do), and I wouldn't ever be able to grow past the "Average Grunt" aspect of the Bureau without some sort of trickery or seriously impressive accomplishment (I bugged the father about it for a while until he finally broke down and told me his numbers. 132,000 max potential, and after so many years he's still forever stuck as a B ranked mage.)

And so I (privately) cried about the unfairness of it all, only to then begin scheming how to change my fate.

**Calendar Year 0068, June 7**

Ha! I did it! I got away with my first real test of lateral thinking!

Over the weekend, there was an athletics competition at the school. All the parents, family, and neighbors came out to watch us compete against each other in a young, miniature version of the Olympics.

I myself competed in only 5 of the events. 100 meter dash, Relay race, Long jump, High jump, and the marathon (it was only 10 kilometers, after all, we're still kids). What can I say? I like running, and I like being fast.

I got 2 golds (100 meter dash, Marathon) one bronze (long jump) and a no-finish (relay race. Our team dropped the baton). But it was the High Jump that almost got me in trouble.

I got first place, by a difference of nearly half a meter! The reason I jumped so high is that I had springs on the toes of my shoes.

Why did I cheat? I didn't. I looked up the official rules, and nowhere in it did it say anything about not being allowed. Oh, I have no doubt that I could take first or second in it, after all, Most of these kids are just having fun, while I actually have some real martial arts experience behind me, but as a test for myself, I needed to see if I could openly cheat and argue my way out of it.

I argued with the officials, my friend Mika pulled out the official rule book so I could properly cite my arguments (and encourage the judges to do the same), My parents were called over to join in the argument. The mother cried like usual, and the father gave me a stern lecture in front of everyone about following the rules and respecting the teachers. My argument against all of theirs was that there was no rule against using it, and in fact there is a rule (page 85, Jumpers Apparel) that stated that Posture shoes, Shoes that have small springs built into the rubber (for people with sore feet who have to stand for long periods of time) are allowed, and all I did was expand upon the design.

The officials couldn't find anything directly against my arguments, but in order to maintain their dignity they enforced another normally obscure rule to where when a judgment is in question, the event is held again. In my book, that's my victory. This time they told me specifically beforehand not to use the springs, which I complied with and barely (2 millimeters) scored first again.

On the ride back home, the Father turned to me and asked "So why exactly did you do that with the High Jump?"

I turned to him and smiled my best innocent smile and said "To see if I could!" to which he just laughed and said "that's my boy!"

5 years ago, after I had finished crying about my magic, I sat down started brainstorming ways to get around that handicap. The list ended up being very long, with most of them deemed undoable, but the important ones were as follows.

1: Find out where the Scrya clan is, and be there when Yuuno excavates the Jewel Seeds, in order to steal one or more and wish upon it to greatly strengthen my Linker Core.

2: Find Jail Scalleti and convince him to rebuild me as a Cyborg.

3: Partner myself to a Unison Device, and find away to make the fusion permanent

4: Focus my entire fighting style around martial arts

5: Spontaneously develop some sort of powerful Natural or Psychic ability.

Most of the other ideas were temporarily scrapped for being unviable, such as accidentally discovering a lost logia that makes me more powerful (too random for a non-main character), or Developing a local version of Negi's Magea Umbrae (absorbing magic to empower oneself) and absorbing the Arc En Ciel (too many variables from all ends). The 5 finalists have their issues, many of which I can't predict with what little I do know, but here's what it mostly seems to come down to.

I don't know if the Scrya clan even exists here, however if Chrono exists, then there's a reasonable chance that Yuuno does as well, and that he'll sometime soon discover the Jewel Seeds. Being there could be a big problem, because I was just a little kid and the parent's obviously wouldn't go along with the idea, and even if I got around all of that, It's extremely likely that I wouldn't be able to steal even one at any time without getting caught, and even if I got around THAT, the jewel seeds are a bit of an unstable wild card, so the wish could very well backfire and cripple or kill me. Besides, even one less Seed could alter the events of Nanoha, and I certainly don't want to do that, but then again the Anime never said anything about there being ONLY 21 Jewel seeds, only that 21 of them found their way to Earth. Perhaps going there after the fact and digging on my own could let me discover one.

Jail Scalleti can't be trusted, I'm not a girl, and the Cyborgs ultimately loose in the end. Not my cup o tee to be a bad guy at any time, but the potential is still there. If I were cyborganized I could always defect before the incident escalates, thus making me out to be a good guy while keeping all my mechanical goodness!

I love the idea of a Unison device, but I really don't know anything about them, other than that they are of an Ancient Belkian style, and the only ones I know of are Reinforce Zwei (who doesn't exist yet), and Agito (who only bonds to true ancient Knights). I'm sure there are others, especially since Agito was experimented on so much according to the anime, but finding them could be as difficult as getting a Jewel Seed without being caught.

With Martial Arts, it's hard to find a fault in the matter. Martial arts can do nothing but enhance my ability to do anything, and would leave me stronger and healthier than normal people. Also, if I could master it, I imagine that I'd be able to use my stamina and dexterity to simply avoid whatever most mages could throw at me, until they tired out and I moved in to finish the blow. The wild card here lies in Magic. There are definitely spells out there that move too fast for even a master martial artist to avoid, and some of them are even homing or explosive. In a fight, if I ever slipped up once and took a single hit, I'd be done for.

The last one is the most random and untrustworthy. I shouldn't believe what I saw in anime and fanfiction about inserts developing really strong skills like that, but then again here I am IN an anime world, so I shouldn't discount it either. Whatever the case, the most common development of such abilities usually only occur at a time of need, and even then may only apply to the situation at hand. I don't want to have to fight off hordes of Ninja's and demons just to be able to summon an iron pole, and I most CERTAINLY am not going to find myself victim to an open ended wish that grants me every imaginable strength and ability to be able to easily breeze my way through any situation no matter how dire and get every single girl in the process.

It took me a long time and lots of late going-to-sleep nights to finish the idea spread, only to find most of them, like I said, undoable. However, one of my favorite expressions I retained here is "Nothing is Impossible, you just haven't found the right way yet." I figure that I just don't know enough to make any of them work right now, so I'll have to be sure to always keep these ideas close at hand, incase I make a discovery that changes everything.

**Calendar Year 0068, October 2**

There was a promotions test at the Dojo recently. I performed my Kata's, Broke a few boards, ran myself ragged and *then* fought and defeated one of the other brown belts.

By the end of the day, I had a belt of raven black adorning my waist. My parents and my friends in the Dojo were all so proud of me as I stood there in a rigid stance while undergoing the ceremony.

Me, I was ecstatic, but instead of showing that, I tried to remain modest instead. When asked to give a few words, I simply quoted my first Sensei; "Improvement is an unending process, and what I wear bares no weight on how hard I should train." The sensei smiled approvingly and beckoned for me to stand with him and the other Black belts on the side as we watched the underbelts complete their tests.

Those words I used weren't just philosophical words of wisdom to me, they served as one of the quotes that I lived by now. I knew of only a small fraction of the enemies or animals I may have to fight some day, and even against just them, I know to the very center of my core that I'll need much much more training and improvement if I were to even hope of surviving a confrontation with them. With this belt, I'll tasked upon to help teach the others, which means that I'd have to devote even more of my free time to self practice. Maybe I could add an extra hour to my daily morning workouts.

Halfway through my second year in this world (this body was 5 by then) I went ahead and begged the father to sign me up for some martial arts classes. Oh, it wasn't out of the blue or anything, I intentionally waited until after we watched an action movie with lots of unrealistic martial arts fights to start the begging.

The Mother cried (apparently, it wasn't just me that stressed her during my first week here. She really is a crybaby, like a Female Soun Tendo), but the Father eventually conceded, saying that it's just a fad and a few lessons from the local dojo and that'll be the end of that.

So they signed me up for 3 1-hour lessons a week at a small Karate dojo in town. It's actually a local equivalent with a different name, but what little I know from the old world sais that Karate is a good identifier.

Boy were they surprised. After a mere month, Ryoko Sensei approached the Parents and encouraged them to sign me up for daily lessons. He said that I was so taken with the art (for my age) and I seemed to enjoy it so much that it would be a good idea. I agreed with Sensei and begged the parents to accept it (when you're a little kid, you don't ask, you beg or do).

I didn't have to fake my enjoyment of the art. Young children really are bottomless pits of energy.

In less then 3 months of attendance, I was promoted to Yellow belt, one of the youngest promotees not born into the art that Sensei had ever seen, though I was only 5, so he may have been trying to be nice and complimentary. Compliments always feel nice though, and when it's related to a skill that probably would save my life sometime soon, I may have found some motivation to train just that much harder somewhere.

3 years ago, when we moved out of the Capitol to this far away place, I was a little put off on how I could continue my training, and of course let my complaints be known. Luckily, Ryoko Sensei was the former student of an effeminate Master from that area, so he put in a letter of recommendation to allow me to join.

What an exclusive Dojo that was. Instead of a small storefront room with a bunch of mats, it was a large walled compound, with several buildings and many training obstacles built along or around the gardens and creek. Quite frankly, it was the most Japanese looking place I've seen since I came to this world, and for once I felt right at home.

Contrary to the size, there were not that many students. Otonafu Sensei ran a very private Dojo here, only allowing in those whom he recognizes as having talent, and I found out later, those who's families he owed a favor to. Well no favor to my family there, so I had to do it the hard way.

The only reason he even allowed me to test to join, he grudgingly admitted, was because of the letter Ryoko sensei sent with me.

The test was daunting, to say the least. He told me to fight one of his more advanced students, and the one he picked was definitely the one I would have wanted to fight the least. Tony was a 13 year old Brown belt, and Big, like he was a young power lifter. Despite that, he moved with a grace that hinted at a speed I could never hope match.

After bowing politely to and honorably to each other, Tony immediately fell into a Choki stance, an advanced and powerful stance that I hadn't learned yet, while I instinctively fell into the Baku, a very defensive stance.

Tony was more than twice my age, twice my size, and much more than twice my skill, and if I'm not mistaken, was that a killing intent!? I was scared! Even before the fight started I found myself taking a step backwards, a small but loud part of me screaming at me to run away, give up on this madness, and if I still wanted to practice, to go find some cheep dojo somewhere else.

No, my convictions wouldn't allow me to back down from a chosen path, even if I was going to die (again). I forcefully shelved my fear, stopped my shaking, and stepped into the Penchola stance, the most aggressive stance I was ever able to learn. I knew I couldn't win this fight, but acting defensive would only see my walls broken against an opponent like that, so I figured even if I have to take a few critical blows, I'd throw everything into landing a decent on him.

Sensei suddenly called a halt to the fight, and announced my acceptance into the Dojo. I almost didn't hear him or even believe it. He explained that the test was to see my determination, ability to sense the strength of my opponent, and method of response to a dire situation, and I passed all three.

I nearly collapsed shaking as all of my fears and adrenaline fled in that instant. That's what it all was about? I'm 6 years old damnit! You shouldn't expect that kind of perceptions from a damn 6 year old!

Other young students there later told me how they had to go through the same thing, so once again I was shocked and awed at how young these Mid-Childian kids grow up.

Aside from that, the training there was pretty normal. As much as I'd like to imagine otherwise, I wasn't that special. This place isn't Ryozanpaku and I'm not Shirahama Kenichi. There are students there far younger than me with far more talent than me, but none of that really mattered. I went and trained 2 hours a day on weekday evenings and 3 hours Sunday morning (Saturday off), and slowly built my way up the skills and ranks. Even now, when I'm 10 and a black belt, I find myself constantly repeating to myself that it's not enough, so I'll continue to train for as long as I can.

My goal however is to become a Mage, not a Martial Artist, so I won't devote too much time to the exercise.

**Calendar Year 0069, January 25.**

Happy new years!

As odd as it may seem to us earthlings, Mid-Childa follows the same calendar concept, yet the few equivalent holidays are oddly off. New years falls near the end of January, to celebrate the day of victory against the Form.

According to TV and my classes, a hundred years ago Mid-Childa was extremely primitive to what it is now. Oh, they had technology more advanced than my original Earth, but it was pure technology. Mages were around in excess there too, with over half of the army's combat division being specially trained mages, but the scientists didn't know how to fuse magic with technology yet.

Back then, the scope of the multiverse was rather small, because while some powerful mages could cross dimensions, it was all but impossible otherwise.

70 years ago, The Form came. The Form was an interdimentional race of aliens with technology far superior to our own. They weren't peaceful either. They came with big ships, big guns, and they wanted our magic and resources.

As outclassed as we were, the very object of their desire became the source of their demise. Our mages were able to hold them off or fight on even grounding, and for more than a year, the war dragged on at a stalemate.

In a bold maneuver, a small group of our illustrious mages was able to board and capture a battleship of the Form, then using it and techniques gained from the long conflict to gain more and more ground, until January 23rd, 69 years ago, when a final, massive rush on the Form's remaining fleet saw them completely annihilated.

The Form were not new to Magic, and had discovered ways to mix magic and technology, which is why their ships had interdimensional capabilities. By studying the remaining tech of our defeated enemies, our scientists were finally able to learn how to mix themselves, which lead to breakthrough after breakthrough and advancement after advancement until our society reached the level it exists at today.

When the first purely Mid-Childian made interdimensional transport ship, the "Entrepreneur" was launched, It heralded in a new age of prosper for Mid-Childa, and in recognition of that milestone, the new Calendar was initiated.

Aside from the historical significance, New years serves as the end of the school year, where Finals are scored, grades are handed out, and the transition to the next stage of education begins.

I didn't have to fake getting moderate grades afterall. As fast as I learned the language, my learning speed noticeably faded as I grew older, and Childian is a more complicated language than one would assume. History was completely different, and even Science and Math reached what I once knew as Collage level early on. This last year we were learning Quantum Trig and Magic Theory in conjunction, because QT was the level of Mathematical learning that it really starts to spill over into Magic equations.

I knew from the Nanoha Manga that magic here was equation driven. It's how Intelligent devices and Storage devices worked, they were basically computers that stored and ran the equations for you. I had no idea how complicated they actually were though.

It is a note of promise and relieve for me to actually understand how Magic works here too. Because they are mathematical, Magic is Finite. Equations held variables, but if you solved even one of the variables (such as magic energy supplied) you can easily solve for the rest, and identify exactly what effect will be made.

This is great! Now I'm not much for such a high degree of book learning, but just the concept alone opens up so many possibilities for me. If I were able to learn enough of the Magic theory, I could potentially alter or even create spells that could work for me, even despite my desperate lack of suppliable energy.

That's a long ways off though. We're only at the beginning of magic theory here, where the only equations we look at are from the simplest of spells, and I imagine that the limit we will be taught in mandatory schooling would be only enough to be able to effectively Use magic.

On another note, with the other related courses under our belt, we're going to learn basic casting next year. Mostly the spells we already know from the math courses, such as a simple Light spell, but it's something to look forward to nonetheless. I can theorize about magic all day, but if I can't actually cast anything then it's all for naught.

**Calendar Year 0069, March 3**

I celebrated Ethan's birthday today. That makes this body 11 years old, and nearly 8 years since I took it over. The parents threw a big part and lots of friends came over and we celebrated like it was 4-20 all over again. Quiet Nancy is having hers tomorrow. All the parents suggested holding them both together, since we were friends anyway, but all us kids rejected the idea.

A question I've been asking myself as I reviewed all the notes I've written before; Why do I still refer to Joseph and Margaret Frist as the Father and Mother? It's pretty obvious that this is my life now, so why do I speak of them in the privacy of my own mind with such an air of detachment?

After mulling over it for a while, I'd have to say it's because of fear.

I may be building this body up as a martial artist, a weaponless tool for killing, but I don't like to hurt people. I was a nice guy in my previous life, and it carries over to here too. Aside from that, I made the conviction that I would never kill anyone if I could help it, and I stick to my word no matter what. Should a kill or be killed situation ever occur, I've resolved myself to find another way out, or accept my being killed.

To that note, it takes me back to Ethan. I am not Ethan Frist. I am Fijisoma Naoko. Even if no fault lie with me, and that it was against my will, I possessed this body and have been using it ever since.

The doctors said that that which is me, namely the psychic possession that is Naoko, would quickly fade, allowing that which is Ethan to live on. That never happened. 6 months later, one year later, 8 years later, and Naoko still continues strong without more than a hint of the original Ethan ever showing himself.

I should probably accept that the original Ethan really is gone. It's been far too long for him to ever come back by now. I need to hold on to the hope that my time spent in and working on this body is nothing more than a house sitting until the true owner returns home. If I ever refer to Margaret or Joseph as 'my' parents, or if I ever refer to this body as 'my' body, then I feel that I would then have truly killed Ethan, and I'd never recover from that shame.

So for now, I'll continue on as I was, and hope that when (not if) Ethan himself does return that he'd appreciate the things I did for him and his.

**Calendar Year 0071, April 29**

It was all over the news. A massive fire broke out at the Mid-Childa Costal Airport 8. The Airport and most of the surrounding industry and city were reduced to rubble, yet there was no word as to the cause.

As I expected, much coverage was given to the Aces of the Time Space Administration Bureau for their quick and effective work in rescuing victims and controlling the disaster.

Specifically mentioned were the Ace of Aces in the TSAB; Head Areal Combat Instructor Nanoha Takamachi, Chief Navel Investigator Fate T. Harlaown, and a Major in the Ground Arms Divisions research and deployment department, Hayate Yagami. The news teams also went into a little bit about the history of these 16 year olds, and how their pasts tie in so closely to each other and why they are so influential today. The unclassified version at least.

I expected nothing less. My place in this world may not yet be decided, but I'm pretty confident that it won't cross their paths, which means that everything I know about the future from my past will probably still occur as expected. Maybe I could trick someone into thinking I was a fortune teller…

When I was 6, the Father was sent off on a long mission of a classified nature, leaving me stuck babysitting the crybaby of a mother. It wasn't bad. I went to school, cooked dinner, and otherwise consoled her threatened to cry again for no reason.

After about a month, the Father returned, however he wasn't at his best. While on the mission in another dimension, he was defeated and his Linker Core stolen.

So the book of Darkness incident. That means that I missed both it and the Jewel seeds, but at least it proved that this universe really was canoncentric. That was confirmed a week later as the TSAB released the official story surrounding the Tome of the Night Sky to the media, including meritorious mention to the 3 9-year-old assistant mages who were instrumental in the resolution of the incident.

The Father never fully recovered from having his Linker Core drained. Young people can heal their magic quickly, but it's not the same for adults. In response to that, the "nice" people in charge of the Ground Arms Division saw fit to re-assign the Father and us to Flaken, where he could have a nice relaxing desk job arranging for transport and deployment of the more active troops and mages.

Ever since that day, The father lost some of his energy, his luster. While he seemed cheerful and personable on the outside, those of us who were close to him could always see that small hole left behind, and to this day it's always been a point of shame and hurt for us. Even as we watch the news of the fire, you could see the envy in his eyes, how he so desperately wants to be there helping, yet the quiet acceptance that he can't.

I will always remember that look in his eyes, and I pray that I'll never do something like that to Ethan who's body I still control. Instead of scaring me away though, it helps serve to strengthen my conviction to press forward and excel.

Next year I turn 14, and can finally join the TSAB myself.

…end prologue.

----

Next time... Training Begins.

Chapters may be slow on release, due to my own laziness and lack of writing skill. Reviews help. Alot. Flames will be blithly ignored. Thank you.


	2. Chapter 2 Training Begins

This is a work of fiction. All similarities to real people or events are purely coincidental. Unless they're not. Suprise!

**Calendar Year 0072, May 05**

"…and be sure to always give it your best. Be proud of what you joined, and know that everyone is proud of you. That is all."

Head Trainer Jonathan Kea finished his speech and took one last look over the many energetic youths lined up in front of him before he walked off the stage. Everyone was called to a sloppy attention as he left, then ushered them off to their individual units for processing and room assignments.

Fijisoma Naoko, who now goes by Ethan Frist to all but his own mind, was to say the least, pleasantly surprised. Despite being a mere 14 years old, he was expecting to join an Army when he signed up for the Time Space Administration Bureau. He had never been in an army before, but he was pretty sure that the initial training to an army, sometimes known as Boot Camp, usually involved a lot of yelling and insulting. Instead, this first day has been nothing but pleasant, if not a little hectic. Nice people nicely asked them to go here, sign this, pick up that, and just now the head instructor himself gave a long speech about trying hard and doing well with a few comments about open door policies thrown in. Then again, the vast majority of the trainees there were only 14.

Ethan probably shouldn't have been surprised. It's been like that for the 11 years he could remember being here. It was just a little hard to grasp where the majority of a society could be _this_ genuinely nice.

Easily hefting his new sac of clothing over his shoulder, Ethan quietly followed the crowd of his group as they moseyed on over to an apartment looking complex 4 stories tall. Many of the others chatted along the way, talking about their pasts or goals for the future. He didn't feel a need to join in on that though. He didn't recognize anyone there, plus it's been a long day of standing around. He couldn't wait to get his room and some free time so he could throw in a workout.

They all dropped their bags in the main lobby and immediately filed through the rooms down the west hall for some final processing. Admittance into the dorm, a last minute scan in the Clinic room, Having their palm prints scanned for meals and room locks, signing for linen, etc. It was more a tour of the administrative wing than anything necessary.

When that was all done, and everyone was back in the main lobby, their group instructor stood up and announced some plans and instructions. Dinner is at 7, lights out at 10, wakeup call for breakfast is at 6am and a 7:30 am sharp attendance in the lobby again after that. His biggest pet peeve is people who are late to anything, so promises of punishment to late arrivals. Finally, some strictness! Kids need some discipline if they're going to work well in an organized military.

Other than that, room assignments were finally handed out and everyone was made aware that their roommate is also serving as their partner for the duration of the training.

Ethan stepped out of the stairwell and looked around at the nearby room numbers. His room is 423 so… that way.

The elevator opened up right then spilling out a group of his fellow trainees. One girl, who was practically dragging her stuff, actually paused to look at him. "You took the stairs lugging all that stuff?" she asked.

Ethan shrugged as he turned to look at her. She was a little taller than him, with flaming red hair and a hairstyle to match. "I work out, so it's not a problem" he said. She was pretty good looking he thought to himself.

His eyes told his thoughts, which the girl noticed. She scoffed and turned down the opposite hallway to drag her stuff to her own room. Ethan strayed a moment to enjoy the sight of her backside before smiling to himself and proceeding to his own room.

His roommate was already there, and had already claimed the top bunk. "Hi" he said cheerfully as Ethan walked in. "I'm Oberi Grey. I take it you're my new partner?"

Ethan took his outstretched hand and shook it. "Ethan Frist. Grey? Why does that sound so familiar?" He was thinking about some fanfictions from his first life, but this guy had no way of knowing that.

"I'm glad you noticed." He said as he took a prideful pose. "I've got the strongest Linker Core in the unit! How about you?"

Oh, so he's that kind of a person. Pity. "It doesn't really matter" Ethan said neutrally.

"Don't tell me…" Grey put on an exaggerated look of abject shock. "You're the one with the weakest!?" He fell to his knees and raised his hands into the air in an over melodramatic pose of righteous indignation. "Oh, dear departed mother in Heaven, How can I possibly live if I'm doomed to surpass and suppress the man I'm supposed to support? Surely I shant live with this shame!"

Oh, so he's THAT kind of a person. Ethan couldn't help but snicker at the sight.

Grey jumped to his feet and threw his arm around Ethan's shoulders, his weight causing Ethan to slump in such a way that for a moment he actually felt like Simon under the arm of Kamina. It helped that Grey was significantly taller than him too. "Worry not about your magic my friend. I've got enough for the both of us!" he started to slowly drag Ethan to the door, pumping his fist into the air. "Now what say we merry men embark on a quest to join in the feast of this mighty castle?"

Ethan finally threw his arm off. "Later. I've still got to unpack."

Grey was leaning in the now open doorway with two fingers holding up his bowed head. "Very well then. It seems I must adventure unaided this day." He looked away, as if to hide his tears. "I pray the goddess favor you this day. Should thou choose to tempt the spirits of these dungeon walls, then I shall have an offering ready by my side at the banquet. Until then, Adieu!" With a flourish, he left the room, leaving Ethan staring at the empty door.

"that was… strangely disturbing" he said to himself. This guy obviously reads way too much fantasy. Ethan isn't any stranger to eccentric behavior though, so rooming with the guy should prove to be entertaining if nothing else.

Not that he had any plans to add to his delusions.

****

The so called "Banquet room" was an ordinary looking cafeteria located on the first floor, a moderately sized room with 3 rows of plain tables and some units lining the walls that electronically dished food onto your plate. The floor to ceiling windows facing the open courtyard was nice though.

Oberi was already sitting at a small table, chatting it up with a couple of girls. True to his word, there was a plate of food sitting at the empty spot next to him. With a small sigh, Ethan went over to join him.

"Ethan my friend, How kind of you to join us. These lovely young maidens have agreed to dine with us this evening." He indicated the girls at the table with a sweep of his hand. "This fiery maiden is Lara, while this gentle maiden is Luna". The redhead he saw earlier was Lara, the other a smaller girl with long dark brown hair and a shy disposition. Ethan noticed that the rest of the tables were full, which would explain why the girls were still there, despite that look of annoyance.

"Ethan Frist" he said politely as he sat down in the empty seat.

"Lara Melt" the redhead said. She turned an angry glare to Oberi. "I told you already, Stop being so damn informal!"

"Ha Ha Ha!" he ha'd. "Such trivial formalities are beneath the toils of us friends"

"Ooooh, you…Say something damnit" she poked at the other girl.

"Luna Dawn" the shy girl finally got a chance to say. "I really don't mind"

"There, you see? Even the delicate maiden chooses to partake in the bounty of our friendship."

"You" Lara said at Ethan. "Do you think you can put up with that" she indicated Oberi as she said 'that'. Ha, he's already been demoted to a thing. "the entire time here?"

Ethan shrugged and smiled gently. "Words are just words, Miss Melt. So long as it…" Ethan decided to play along with the objectization of his roommate "doesn't keep me up at night or hold me back in training, than I have no problems." Luna noticed the trend and giggled.

"Alright, I'll accept that" Lara said. "We're done here. Let's go" she ordered to Luna.

Even before she could stand up, Grey was by her side with her hand in his. "Thank you for favoring us with the gift of your presence, my Fiery maiden." He bowed gracefully and gently kissed her fingers. "I pray your evening be peaceful and momentous."

Lara turned as red as her hair. "We're going!" she said to Luna again as she forcefully yanked her hand free and grabbed her tray to leave. "And WE ARE NOT FRIENDS!!" she screamed in Oberi's face before storming off. Luna bowed politely before standing up to hurry after her partner.

Many of the people nearby began laughing. Ethan put his head into his hand in an "I don't know him" pose, which made some of the other people laugh even harder. The pose was to cover his smile however. Ethan had never in his life, in either of his lives, encountered such a perfect example of a tsundere girl, and it nearly brought tears to his eyes the nostalgia it brought of the time so long ago when he swooned over Moe characters as much as the next otaku.

The rest of the evening was spent ignoring the wild ramblings of his roommate.

****

A little after 4:30am, Ethan was standing outside in the crisp morning air wearing a light sweat suit. An hour and a half until breakfast meant plenty of time for a morning workout.

Nothing much he thought to himself as he performed some stretches. A 45 minute long distance jog and some calisthenics aught to be enough. He'd have to learn his way around the campus and rules before he started any intense self training.

For now, a trip to those woods, then circle around the back of the dorm and repeat should be a decent route to run. Ethan set his watch and took off.

After one and a half laps, apparently someone else decided to join him in his run. It was a girl, and she caught up and kept pace by virtue of her rollerblades. "Morning" Ethan said when it became obvious that she was keeping pace, instead of passing.

"Morning" she replied with a smile. "You take this route often?"

Ethan snorted. Was that a pickup line? "I just got here yesterday. If you know of a better one, please let me know." He gave the girl a glance over. Well built, but nice looking. Short blue hair held back with a long white headband,

"Sorry, I'm new myself" she replied with a shrug. "I saw you running, and thought you might be able to show me where the good workout spots were."

"Not today. Sorry. It's only the first day though. If you manage to find some good ones, be sure to let me know"

"Ok" she replied cheerfully "but only if you promise to do the same"

"Deal" he said, sticking his hand out.

Without pausing, she took it and shook it. "Deal" she said.

"Ethan Frist" he finally got around to introducing himself.

"Frist-san, huh? So you're the guy with the weakest Linker Core."

Ethan slapped himself on the forehead. "It's not even been 24 hours yet. Why does everyone know that!?"

She smiled playfully. "It's big news when someone's able to so barely squeeze in like that" she said. It was true, his Linker Core only just barely met the minimum requirement for entry into the Bureau, and the nurse in charge of their medical checkup even had the honesty to mention how rare that was. "Don't worry about it though. Magic strength isn't everything, I'm sure you'll do fine!"

"Thanks" he mumbled irritably.

"By the way. I'm Nakajima Subaru. Nice to meet you" she said.

Ethan fell flat on his face. They had just entered the woods again, and he tripped over a high tree root. At least, that's what She thought. If she had been paying more attention, she would have noticed that Ethan was STARING at her, and consequently tripped over his own feet.

Subaru? Holy shit, How could I have missed that!? On hindsight, she really was the real life spitting image of the Anime character he could remember. Maybe it was because people here looked like people instead of anime.

This could be a problem, he thought to himself. Subaru is a Cyborg, a future Ace under the thumb of Nanoha herself, and one of the integral characters in the Jail Scalleti incident some 2 years from now. He couldn't get involved with her to any degree, not without potentially butterflying a different, less pleasant outcome to that incident.

Subaru laughed, but not in a snide way, as he fell. "Are you alright?" she asked as she rolled to a stop and reached down to help him up.

"Ugh, how embarrassing" he said as he accepted the help and started to brush himself off. "maybe you shouldn't hang around me. My clumsiness might rub off on you"

"Don't worry about me. I know how to keep my balance" she indicated her rollerblades as she said that. "But I'll stick around anyway, if only to stop you from falling again"

"Really? With those on, at my slow pace you'd never get a good workout"

"My blades are under restraints, so I can get a good workout at any speed." She put her hands on her hips. "If I didn't know better, I'd think you were trying to get rid of me."

"Is it working?" he asked with a half smile.

That was not the response she was expecting, but still answered "Nope" without hesitating.

"Well if I can't get rid of you, shall we continue then?" She acknowledged and they both started running again.

The rest of the run went in companionable silence, much to Ethan's relief. Never before in this life had he wanted the workout to end so quickly. However, one day lost requires three to catch up, so he resolved himself to continue, yet try his best to politely disinterest the cyborg from hanging out with him.

After the run, on the grass infront of the dorm, Ethan began to perform a light callisthenic routine. At least, it was light for him. It was pushups, situps, squats, and other related exercises intermixed in such a way as to force all the muscles to bear a constant strain the entire time. To most people, the routine would be considered torturous, and even people who work out regularly would find the aftereffects painful enough to try something different.

To Subaru's credit, she kept up with the whole thing. She didn't ask to join, just did, and barely made a grunt the whole time.

At around 5:45, Ethan finished and stood up to go inside. Subaru wobbled to her feet and had to lean against the wall to stay standing. "Woah" she said weakly. "You sure no how to make a good workout"

"Yeah? Well let's see how you feel tomorrow" Ethan said.

"What? You're going to make it harder?" damn, sounds like she intends to join his workout regularly. He probably could have worded it better though.

"Not that" he said. "Let's just say I recommend a really hot shower"

"Oh. Ok. Well I'll see you after breakfast then"

Ethan stopped to look at her questioningly. "wha?"

"You didn't know? We're in the same training group"

"Oh, then later it is" he said and walked inside. Same training group? Sonofabitch! There are 25 training groups that started this year, Why the hell does she have to be in this one? Oh… it's going to be hard trying to avoid her the whole time. Well, if the future stays close enough to the manga canon, then in a few weeks she's gonna vow to her partner to be the best, and work single-mindedly to that end.

It's also a good thing she has such lesbian tendencies, he hoped to himself. Life-threatening situations or not, a guy could really fall in love with a girl like that.

****

"Choose a staff if you're going to pursue the Mid-Childa style, the Spear for Belkin. Keep in mind that this is the only device we're going to give you, so take good care of it. If you break it, or choose to switch styles, it's out of your own pocket to buy a new one." Called out Assistant Instructor Michael Tundra. The morning so far had been a class introducing the basics of both styles, then the issuing of the Storage Devices themselves.

When it was Ethan's turn, he immediately grabbed the Staff, and after signing for it stepped back to wait for his partner.

Sure enough, Subaru Nakajima and her partner Teana Lanster were in his TNG. When he knew what to look for, the two of them stood out like a beacon. They were both standing to the side and out of the way. They both had their own custom devices already, but were kept with the group for unity's sake.

A moment later, Oberi Grey walked up and slapped Ethan on his shoulder. "A Staff? Wow man, I'd think that an active little guy like you would be of a more up close and personal style"

"Mid-Childa magic is more my style" Ethan responded. It was true. He researched the spells and magic structure beforehand, and felt that Mid-Childa spells could be more easily worked with towards what he had in mind. "What about you? I'd think that you'd be more of a heavy artillery kind of guy?" Grey was holding a spear in his hand.

"Nope, I prefer to wear the mark of a gentleman. Admittedly it's a spear, not a sword, but little details like that can be worked out later"

"To each his own I suppose" said Ethan.

"Indeed" responded Grey. "Oh look, there's Lara and Luna. What say we say hi?"

"Please try to be civil" begged Ethan. "I don't want Miss Melt to cause a commotion or murder you in your sleep because you agitated her too much"

Oberi smiled. "don't worry about me my little friend. I know what to do when it comes to the ladies" That worried Ethan a little. People who say that are usually the ones who get slapped first. "Lara! Luna! How nice to see you again!"

"Miss Melt, Miss Dawn" said Ethan politely. Luna bowed in greeting.

"Mr. Frist. You haven't thrown that thing out yet?" she asked, clearly meaning Oberi.

Ethan couldn't help but smile at that. "Can't say I haven't tried. It just crawls right back in."

"Oh comeon guy's, Don't be like that" lamented Oberi out loud. "We're all friends here, right?"

"Maybe if you learned to be a little more polite I'd consider being more civil!" Lara practically spit in his face.

Ethan interrupted before things could get out of hand. "So I see you both went with Mid-Childa style. Any particular reason?"

Lara was all for doing anything other than talking to Grey. It's amazing how much a guy can get a girl to hate him in only a single day by trying to be polite. "My whole family's always been practicing the style. I'm already used to most of it"

Ethan nodded approvingly. "So sticking to what you know. Always a good thing. Miss Dawn?"

"Luna is fine" she said meekly. "I don't like hurting people"

"Do no fret my gentle maiden. For I shall be there to protect-"

Ethan clocked Oberi lightly on the head. "Stop that. You're scaring her." He said.

Lara gave Ethan a thankful smile, and as it was the first smile he saw her wear, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful it made her. Tsundere indeed. "So how about you?" she asked him.

Ethan shrugged. "I'd like to see if I can't use both."

Lara got a little wide eyed. "You can do that?"

"I don't know" Ethan said "but every skill has it's uses and I like to try different things. As it stands though, my Linker Core is pretty small, so Mid-Childa would be easier to start with."

****

By then everyone else had gotten their devices, and the group was dismissed for lunch. The afternoon was mostly devoted to a class about the disassembly, cleaning, and general care for the devices. While the devices themselves had a measure of self repair, that only seemed to apply to cracks and stuff. Heavy use of the things saw a build up of magicite in the tubes and filters that could cause miscasting or even the outright destruction of the machines if not regularly cared for.

Ethan really envied the rare Intelligent devices. Those things had self cleaning in addition to the self repair.

Despite the difference in style, the staffs and spears had mostly identical internal workings, so it was a joint class.

There was an hour workout before dinner. To Ethan and a few others, including his roommate, it was a very light workout with a mere half-hour run and some light calisthenics. Many of these kids had never had any real exercise in their lives however, so they were complaining about how harsh and unnecessary it was.

Ethan noticed that his morning routine was already having an effect on Subaru. As they were stretching at the end, he idly overheard Teana complaining about how such an active girl could do so poorly in an exercise.

After dinner was free time. Most of the trainees opted to relax or watch TV. A few went to the gym for another workout, while others still chose to call home to say hi to their friends or cry to their mommies or whatever they did on the phone.

Ethan chose to lift some weights, then after his shower he immediately plugged his new Storage Device into the room's computer to start looking over the pre-programmed spells available.

Oberi came back a little later from his adventure of talking to the girls who idled about. He had a big, red, hand shaped mark on his face, so Ethan had a pretty good idea about how that went, and who did it.

"So what's your story?" Oberi asked, blithely ignoring the pain and swelling on his cheek.

"Huh?" asked Ethan in genuine confusion.

"Well I'm naturally the Dashing Hero who usually saves the day and has many romantic subplots of whom I'll never be able to decide between. So what's your story?"

"I don't think I understand" said Ethan honestly.

"Oh comeon. You're the guy with the weakest magic of whom fate chose to place as my partner, which means you've got to have some amazing trick up your sleeve to more than cover for the magic. So what's your story? Are you some specially bred martial artist with more Chi than you'll ever know how to use? Are you a genetically modified alien with a super advanced cloaked ship hovering nearby ready to drop hoards of loyal minions at a moment's notice? Do you posses amazing psychic abilities that allow you predict your opponents every move? Or are you perhaps a closet mechanical genius who's going to pull out mind-bogglingly useful inventions that seem custom tailored for any situation you may need to use it? Nothing approaching my level of ability of course, but do you have anything that allows you to keep up with me and allow me to trust my back to you when the oddly well-timed strange occurs?"

Ok, so this guy reads WAY too much fantasy, with a Capitol WAY and seven explanation points!!!!!!!

"Sorry, nothing of the sort" Ethan said, but for whatever reason, he decided to play along "I may develop some super telekinetic abilities during a moment of dire need, but we both know that you can't predict something like that"

"Or can we…" Oberi said thoughtfully. "I understand though. Your niche is something so secret and embarrassing or traumatic that you'll keep it suppressed until the time I am captured and you must overcome your geas to protect my life and our unbreakable friendship. Forgive me, it was rude to ask, just know that no mater what your secret talent may be that I shall never look down upon you for it."

"Uh… thanks" Ethan said as he turned away from his roommate to continue reviewing the spells.

****

The next morning, as expected, Subaru begged out of the morning workout. Her body was so sore that she could barely stand. That suited Ethan just fine. Out of a courtesy towards her pain, he suggested a few things she could do to help speed her recovery, as well as a friendly suggestion to keep at it.

His run this time took him around most of the entire campus. He was able to see more of where things were yesterday, and the morning gave him the opportunity to better learn his way around. He got lost when he hit the base proper, but a nice tech nursing a cup of coffee on a bench was able to direct him back.

They finally started on their regular routine that day. Mornings were devoted to classes, mostly Magic theory. The afternoon started the actual Magic practice, though it was cut short for a class on proper military edict. The evening workout was the same as the day before, and once again the after dinner time was free time.

The rest of the week followed mostly the same pattern, though purely educational classes were thrown in in the mornings.

Sunday was a half day. The morning was mostly review and practical application. Since all they practiced that week was protection spells, then all they had to do was protect themselves from some training lasers out on the range. The rest of the day was free time.

Ethan may have excelled in the physical trainings, and stayed awake in the classrooms, but when it came to the actual magic practice, he was lacking. The simple protection spell tired him out after only one use, yet he had to do it multiple times every day. Needless to say, by the end of the week, he was ranked at the bottom of the group.

Oberi Grey, out of a sense of showing off or even just seriously trying hard, was throwing out spells left and right like it was candy. As far as individual performance he was ranked at the top, but because of his partners' pitiful performance, his team score took a severe hit. To his credit, he didn't complain about it, merely promised to try to compensate for Ethan's lack of talent, and gave a few friendly pointers on how to do better, which Ethan ignored because it was stuff like "show your guts!"

****

Ethan always knew that his magic talent would drag him and his partner down, and spent most of this life trying to figure out a way around that. One of his answers came several years before when they started Magic Science and high end Math in school. And that was Spell alteration, the ability to use pure knowledge and book learning to be able to understand and alter the equation of a spell without destroying the spell or creating an unexpected side effect.

People with really high magic talent could simply wish for the effect and their device would alter the spell for them. Ethan didn't have that talent though, so he had to do it the hard way.

The path to the level of knowledge he felt he needed was by no ways easy. He'd had to sacrifice much of his time practicing the art or hanging out with friends to make the time to study. He was pretty sure that if he didn't study like that, that he'd be a 4th dan black belt by now.

As it were, he had spent his free time over the last week attempting to alter the protection spell to minimize the amount of magic needed to cast it. Shrinking the area coverage a little here, lessening the distance between it and him a little there, things like that. Apparently there were a lot of superfluous effects from the spell that he felt he could do without, such as the brightness or color pattern, however the versions he used in practice still had them in. He couldn't let it be known that he was altering spells unlicensed. It was considered too dangerous for the caster.

The original spell cost roughly 5000 mp to cast. By the end of the week, his in-practice versions were shaved down to 2700 mp, and his personal versions down to 1900mp. He felt he could go further with both, but not by much without sacrificing the ever necessary "Protection" aspects.

This was only a stop-gap measure, and He knew it. No matter how much he shaved off of whatever spells, he only had a magic tank of 20,000 units. Should he get in an actual fight, he's fall desperately short, and he'd never even be able to pass the D ranked mage test, if he were even allowed to take it.

He couldn't think of anything else he could do that was readily available however, so perhaps it was time to get a little creative.

****

Next time… Secret Training

I promise better dialogue in the future.


	3. Chapter 3 Secret Training

Owner listed in chapter 1. Joke listed in Chapter 2. Big disclaimer listed in chapter 4. What can I say. I'm lazy.

****

Subaru Nakajima is a girl who adores and idolizes Head Aerial Combat Instructor Takamachi Nanoha. This idolization comes from the time when she was saved by the woman from amidst the flames of the burning Airport some time ago. When she was alone, lost, hurt, and scared, Nanoha appeared like a guardian angel. The fires of that hell seemed to be held at bay by the very overwhelming presence of that woman, and fled before the might of her unstoppable magic.

And yet, despite that fearsome strength, Nanoha was a gentle soul, cradling Subaru like a loving mother as she flew away from the inferno. She saw the crying girl to complete safety in the arms of her sister before flying off again to fearlessly brave the flames again in hopes of saving another.

Since that day, Subaru sought strength so that she could one day be like that cool, kind, yet strong woman she adored.

Subaru's family style of martial arts, as well as Revolving Knuckle, her fist style Knights Weapon (Right hand version, inherited from her late mother), followed the modern Belkin style of magic. All of this was very powerful in it's own right, with the potential to grow even stronger, yet that was not enough. Subaru didn't want to be 'as strong' as the White Ace, she wanted to be 'just like' her, so she went and developed spells in imitation of her idol to work into her fighting style.

One of Nanoha's most identifiable spells is her Divine Buster, a long range magic barrage attack spell. At it's core, the Divine Buster is nothing more than a Particle Beam Cannon, the strongest of the ordinary long range magic attack spells, however there are several other features thrown in that differentiate it from the generic. For one, it holds a sealing effect, to suppress the magic of an object gone out of control. For another, it doesn't kill, simply shears away at the magic and protective layers of an opponent while the flesh remains unharmed. All of this and more ultimately adds to the cost of the spell, bringing a basic Divine Buster to a cost of around 1.5 Million mana!

Since the DB is so identifiably linked to Nanoha, then naturally Subaru added it to her own arsenal as well. There lies problems though. For one, it's a high end Mid-childian spell, and thus incompatible with her Belkin Knights Weapon. Another problem is that Subaru just doesn't have the Linker Core strength that Nanoha has, and so cannot afford to meaninglessly squander THAT much magic on a single attack.

Subaru is not smart, strong, or learned enough to develop her own spells, so how can she have a DB? The answer; she contracted it out.

Everyone has their own unique magic combat style, so there are people who make a living developing spells to suit a persons wants or needs. The cost of those custom spells vary depending on the complexity of the job, so it can get pretty expensive to customize one's arsenal.

Ethan looked it up on the developers BBS, and sure enough, Hanz Beetle, one of the more well known developers of modern Belkin spells, made a version of the Divine Buster for the Nakajima family. According to his notes, the spell is actually a close range Explosion spell, with a string added for Focus and projection, turning the area explosion into a purely destructive mid-range beam. As a measure of pride, he also through in a condition to where the caster (Subaru) could consciously limit the distance in which the spell projects, thus amplifying the destructive ability.

Ethan was impressed to say the least. On-the-spot willful manipulation of any of a spells effect is an incredibly complicated and difficult formula.

As mages have their own combat style, so too do developers have their own writing style, and they don't like it when others steal their trade secrets. To that end, there's an unspoken rule to never publicly release the magic equations or creation techniques, so while they freely release _What_ they did, they never say _how_, other than the occasional tips or tricks they discovered in their work. The equations, findings, and processes do have to be given over to the Bureau so that it can be logged and filed in the Infinity Library though.

To a resourceful guy like Ethan, the Developers BBS was a virtual treasure trove of information. Even if he couldn't see how certain effects were applied, the very fact that they could provided Ethan with inspiration on how to work his own magic, as well as aided in his understanding of the intricate workings of a spell formula.

Now Ethan could never fly, or even float, but considering the frequency in which Bureau mages see danger, especially when deploying to a distant unknown dimension, he felt reasonably sure that he'd have to fight against those who could. Subaru got around this by virtue of her Wing Road spell, which allows her to skate across thin air. Even that was out of Ethan's league though, so he had to find other ways to freely move around.

Ethan felt that movement should be one of the cornerstones of his fighting style. A person cannot be trapped on a rooftop if they are capable of leaping to another one afterall, and instead of trying to dodge a homing bullet or withstand an area explosion, it would be better to simply be somewhere else when the spell hits. Even against the strongest opponents, if you survive long enough, an opportunity would present itself. While a person takes less damage if they strengthen their defense, that same person takes NO damage if they avoid the whole thing altogether.

The idea on how he could move so freely began to take form during the third week of training when they learned the Body Augmentation spell. BA is a simple, cheep spell that strengthens the human body. It serves as the prototype to the Barrier Jacket, and allows a person to run a little faster, longer, and take hits without getting as hurt. It has a short casting, cheep magic cost, long lasting, and doesn't interfere with the casting of future spells. A staple in any mage's inventory. As a test, to show everyone what their new limitations are when the spell is in effect, everyone had to jump off of a 10 meter high platform. A very effective spell, because even those that cowered on the way down and hit the ground in an odd way were able to get up and move on unharmed.

The spell showed Ethan that he could _survive_ the jump to the metaphorical rooftop, so now it was a matter of how to even reach it. He had a few ideas regarding the feat derived from the BBS and his own past life experiences, it was just a measure of working out the details and finding a place to try it out.

****

It was a month and a half into the training, and Ethan was doing a rare thing for him. He was lounging in the common room watching a movie. Oberi was by his side, and since the movie was one of those old, dumb, Sci Fi flics, the two of them found themselves performing a Mystery Science Theater 3000 routine, which the other trainees found to be really funny.

"Oh no! My chronic miss-at-the-most-critical-moment illness kicked in causing me to miss the core! We'll never be able to stop the radioactive mutant slime ghost from eating the world's supply of potatoes now!" said Oberi, who didn't really care what the onscreen character was really saying.

"Oh, Have hope one of my loves! Surely the nerdy doctor whom I'd never sleep with will magically appear at just the right time with an absurd and impossible plan that somehow works out anyway, causing me to sleep with him anyway!" said Ethan in a high pitched voice over the female lead.

"There is no hope for us now, but I would not be the male lead if I said that, so let us hope you are right. And don't call me Shirley!" said Oberi.

"My pants are on fire!" called out William, another trainee who was enjoying this so much he decided to join in as the scientist. "I mean, I know how to stop the giant radioactive mutant slime ghost now!"

"See? I told you" said Ethan.

"It's really simple really. Lola must sleep with me!"

"Yess!!" cried out Ethan

"Now doc, we all know how much you need a prostitute, but surely there's another means to stopping this giant radioactive mutant slime ghost" said Oberi

"Yes, you must perform the ancient and difficult tribal slime dance to get it to mate with you. Only then the potatoes of the world will have the time to learn to poison themselves, causing the giant radioactive mutant slime ghost to regret it's actions and leave of it's own accord. Only you can do it! And don't call me Shirley!" said William.

"Very well, I shall go and sacrifice my life for a plan that will never work, because that's what we make leads do. Lola, When I mysteriously return alive, let's get married!" Said Oberi in a very dramatic tone.

"Oh, if only I could go with you. I'll never be able to love again for at least a week when you die" lamented Ethan.

"That's all I ask. Porkchop Sandwiches!" Obery called out as the character fled through the door to confront the monster. "Hau Hau Hau, Monseri, you luke very beautiful in sa moonlight. Vould you care to mate vit me?" Oberi said in a very bad French accent.

"Gladly!" growled one of the girls in a mock monster voice as the camera showed the slime.

"Hoot, Hatt! Bogaboga tootoot!" said Oberi in a mock tribal chant as the character jumped around to avoid thrown slime bits.

"It's working!" cried Ethan hopefully over a distraught looking female as the slime changed colors.

"hmmm, you smell very nice today" said William seductively as the scientist screamed into the monitor.

"Why thank you. It's Lilac rouge. Do you like?" said Ethan seductively as the Female lead fell to her knees and cried.

Everyone was laughing as the movie faded into the commercial break. Ethan and Oberi were conspiring on how to finish the movie when Subaru walked in, obviously looking for someone.

"Hey Ethan!" she called out.

"Miss Nakajima?" he asked as he looked up at her. She had a grin on her face, the kind that usually meant some absurd request was coming.

"You never told me you were a Martial Artist!" she said.

"You never asked"

"Oh, well I practice the art a little myself. How about we spar some time?"

"Ok" Ethan said before he could think about it. "I…"

"Great!" Subaru interjected before he could tack on some ridiculous condition. He had a nasty habit of actually doing whatever he said. "I'll see you in the morning then!" She waved and ran off after her partner, who was standing outside the doorway with an annoyed expression on her face.

Oberi took a sip of his soda and turned to his partner. "So when did you get so friendly with the golden duo?" he asked.

"She works out with me in the early mornings" Ethan said honestly. After a week of recovering, Subaru had started to follow along on his workout routine again, and has been keeping up with it every day since. It's also why she was so familiar with him, despite his insistence otherwise. The only person Ethan refers to on a first name basis is his partner.

"Really… Perhaps we should invite them to join in our evening repast" said the partner in question.

"Don't" said Ethan warningly. "Both of them each managed to usurp your position as the best, and are showing no sign of slowing down. If you try and be friendly to them now, it could very well be taken as a challenge or a trick to get your spot back. I for one certainly don't want _them_ to be cross with us."

"hmmm… perhaps you show wisdom in your youth. Very well, I shall find a different means by which to swoon the maidens!"

"You do that" Ethan said. That was odd. Grey almost never usually backs down from something like that. Ethan wondered what it meant.

"But seriously" said Will with a nudge to his side. "What's she really like?"

"huh" asked Ethan in confusion.

"Comeon. You said you 'work out' with her in the mornings, right? So how is she?" Will asked suggestively.

"Well she's got a really firm body" said Ethan with a half smile and a side-long glance.

"Gods, you are such a jerk!" called out Lara Melt from the back row. "And to think I was starting to like you!"

Ethan turned around and held his hands up defensively. "It's not like that Miss Melt. We only exercise together. I swear!"

"My friend breaks no bonds in his dealings with persons other, my Fiery maiden." Added Oberi. "Fear not, for the hard built bindings of our friendship remain firm and true!"

Lara humphed and turned away.

"But on a matter of direness my friend" said Oberi to Ethan. "how could you so openly lie to me, your closest confidant?"

"When have I ever lied to you?" he asked.

"When asked a fortnight ago, thou told me to my face that you are not the specially bred heir of Martial prowess with barrels of excessive chi at your disposal, did you not?"

He remembers that? "I'm not, and I don't. I practice the art a little, but that's all." Ethan idly wondered when he became the center of so many conversations. He knew there was a reason he didn't socialize that much.

"So you say. We shall find out on the morrow then. Shall we?"

By then, the commercials had ended and the movie resumed.

"Oh, Duke, what a wonderful male lead you are. You successfully mated the monster and drove it away! But why are you eating your own child?"

"What? You mean I shouldn't?"

****

In the early rays of morning, Ethan stood infront of the mirror tightening the belt to his Dogi. He didn't really want to do this, but couldn't easily see a way out of it.

It was bad enough that the Cyborg chose to join him in his morning routine, but if he did well enough in this, it could deepen a bond that he didn't want to exist. As much of a likeable person she is, and as much as he'd like to be her friend, he couldn't risk the change his presence may create.

Ethan was an outsider with knowledge of the future, and people like that are the ones that end up changing that future. When that future involves a world spanning incident that's originally only barely averted, little changes could find themselves tipping the balance in the bad guy's favor.

If he paid close enough attention to what changes he could notice to what he remembers, he could perhaps lend himself to cover the shortcoming those changes wrought. Patching the holes that only he can see so to speak. The problem with that is, a pathetic mage like him whose only redeeming feature is a fit body would find himself extremely hard pressed to insert himself into the unit of Elites and gain a position to make those patches.

A way around the whole thing would be to simply blow the lid on Jail Scalleti and his organization right now. Simply go to the authorities and tell them everything that's expected to happen, about the Numbers, his tie in to Project Fate, and the resurrection of the original Belkin King. Let the aces deal with him now, while most of the numbers are still undergoing construction.

They might believe him, except that he's shown no tendancies towards psychic ability before and wouldn't be able to fake it later. With someone like that, such a clear and concise prediction would be under suspect, and he'd have to face no end of troubles and trials as a consequence.

An anonymous call to Hayate, Nanoha, and Fate perhaps? Those three would probably believe him enough to look into the matter, but then again nothing's truly anonymous these days, so all the other troubles could still occur.

That left sticking to the canon and hoping for the best, which also meant not getting involved with Nakajima Subaru. The easiest route would be to simply start being rude to the girl, so she'd choose to ignore him for the rest of training. Ah, if only he could be so heartless, everything would be so much easier.

There was hope though. Despite his presence, Subaru and her Partner Teana both seem to follow the canon, as far as he could tell. A few weeks in, they made their vow to be the best and have been the best ever since. They both spend most of their free time working and training, and so don't socialize with other's much. Even Subaru, as personable and friendly as she is, mostly keeps to herself between breakfast and sleep.

So she wants to spar a little this morning. Maybe it won't be so bad afterall. Well, one can hope anyway. With that in mind, Ethan left his room and walked to the front courtyard…

…Only to stop and slap himself on the forehead.

Apparently word got out and most of the group was there to watch. There was a lot of fanfare floating around with the majority of conversations being about what brought this on and who would win. They had already formed into a large circle around the grassy area.

Subaru was off to one side, stretching and cheerfully talking to a tired Teana who looked like she wanted to slap the girl and go back to bed.

Oberi, the betrayer, had apparently assumed the role of one Nabiki Tendo and was roving around the crowd talking up the fight and running a betting pool.

William Fiero apparently noticed Ethan first, since he broke away from the crowd to fetch him. "Man, you got guts Frist. I didn't think anyone would dare challenge that monster woman."

Ethan merely groaned into his hand.

"Don't worry about it dude, I'm rooting for you" said Will as he practically dragged Ethan into the circle. "Just make sure you last a while before you lose!"

"What?" Ethan said as he looked at the guy. "What the hell happened to rooting for me?" as much as this sucked, that hurt his pride.

"Comeon man, Everyone knows your going to lose, so the betting is based on how long you last. I'm in for longer than 30 minutes."

"Hey, no swaying the contestant before the match!" yelled Oberi as he came over and forcefully separated the two. He grabbed Ethan and dragged him into the center. "We've been waiting for you my friend!"

Ethan grabbed him in a headlock, and the taller guy suddenly found it very hard to breath. "What the hell are you doing, what the hell is all this, and why the hell is everyone betting against me? Answer in 10 seconds or die"

Oberi smiled weakly from his position under his partner's armpit. "You are the man heaven chose to be my partner. I have no doubt you'd win. Since everyone now thinks you'll lose, we'll make off with all the winnings!"

"Oh?" Ethan said as he tightened his grip alittle. "and what kind of winnings are we talking about?" Oberi weakly squeeked out the numbers, and Ethan's grip slacked. These people are betting that much? With that kind of money, he could finally afford that spell he needed! Still though…

He tightened his grip again as he thought about it, and finally let the taller guy go when his face turned purple. "No, I refuse. It goes against my pride to fight for the sake of spectators."

"Oh, comeon, It's more fun this way" said Subaru as she assumed her spot in the middle of the ring.

Ethan crossed his arms and put a stern expression on his face. It's going to suck giving up the potential for that much money. "Sorry Miss Nakajima. Maybe some other time." He turned to walk away.

"So what are you, a coward?" she called out and pointed at him. "Martial artists can't refuse a challenge, and I challenge you!"

Ethan winced. She got him there. With those words it was now a matter of a different kind of pride. Oberi was standing up, having finally recovered, when Ethan snagged his shirt like a whip and dragged his face to his own. He gave his roommate a very stern, angry glare that promised lots of unending pain should he not listen. "80 percent" he hissed quietly enough that only Oberi could hear it.

"Naturally" the taller guy said with a smile and he was let go.

"Ladies and Gentlemen" Oberi called out for all the world like a circus ringleader. "I apologize for the delay, but the moment you've all been waiting for is now upon us. The fight to end all fights. David versus Goliath. The good verses the bad. The Golden child versus the Problem child. Who will emerge victorious in this grueling grudge match?"

"In this corner" he said with a sweep of his arm towards the woman "Our defending champion, The Golden child of Training group 4. She has climbed her way to the top, rocking the score of every stat. She is the one who sets the standards for the rest of us and crushes her opposition with her fearsome might. Subaru Nakajima!!!"

"Yeah, go girl!"

"You can do it!"

"Just hurry up so I can go to bed"

"And in this corner" Oberi continued, indicating the guy "The challenger. The problem child of training group 4. He gets the worst scores in almost every department, but he has not given up yet. In his ambition to climb the charts, he has set his sights on the best, and skipped the climb in the process. Ethan Frist!"

"Yeah, go for it"

"Don't lose too quickly, ya hear?"

"Show that girl what we guy's are made of!" why haven't the instructors come out to stop this yet?

"This is a no holds barred fight, with no magic and no time limit. The match will continue until one contestant gives up or is unable to continue. Challenger Nakajima, Are you ready?"

"Yeah, Let's do this!"

"Challenger Frist, Are you ready?"

"ugh… let's just get it over with"

"Then without further ado, ready….Fight!"

Neither of them made a move right away. There were some rituals that needed following first, and Ethan was glad that she was experienced enough to follow them.

Subaru put her fist into her palm. "Subaru Nakajima, First dan of the Nakajima school of the Righteous Fist" she bowed correctly.

Ethan mimicked the maneuver. "Ethan Frist, Third dan of the Flying Foot Open Fist school." He bowed his respects as well. He wondered a little about her claim to experience. According to the manga, she had only been learning that style for a little over a year, since the Airport fire.

Subaru assumed an aggressive stance, her right fist held out with her left over her chest. Ethan idly noted that her right glove was significantly thicker than the other, probably related to her device. In response, he assumed a defensive stance, his right hand open infront of his face, while his left hung loose over his stomach.

She attacked first, jumping in with a 4 punch combo followed by a high kick to the head. Ethan blocked all of it, and pushed against her leg with his forearm to force her to jump back.

She showed how flexible she was by instead leaning into her leg with a one-two jab to his chest. He deflected one of them with his free hand, but took a tag to his chest, and stepped back himself as a result. She was much better than he thought.

Subaru calmly put her foot back on the ground and took up the same stance. She had a smile on her face from the moral victory.

Ethan took a more aggressive stance himself this time, and even before he finished it, he leapt directly into her personal bubble. Subaru instinctively tried to block a hit she knew was coming at her face, only to feel a strong punch in her gut, forcing her back a few steps. Ethan shook his fist warningly at her. It was a favorite trick of his when fighting against experienced fighters, to use his chi to make them react to an attack that never comes.

The crowd was starting to swing a different direction by now. "What? The recluse is actually good at something?"

"Woah, I wasn't expecting this"

"I want to change my bet!"

The two clashed again, trading blows and parries for a moment before separating again. The brown haired guy had taken a rather strong blow to his face which staggered him, while the blue haired girl was nursing her side from a kidney shot.

The fight broke out in earnest there, both fighters using tricks and advantages in reckless abandon. Ethan had the better skill, that was for sure, but Subaru had a mechanically reinforced body that gave her inhuman levels of toughness and strength that amounted to a pretty even fight.

"What the hell is going on out here!?" yelled assistant instructor Tundra as he finally stepped outside to investigate the commotion. The crowd panicked, and made a mad dash to the door, each hoping to be able to pretend they slept through the whole thing.

Subaru and Ethan were frozen in the act of pummeling each other as they stared at the instructor. Teana was off to the side, her head in her hand. She knew better than to run, especially since her partner was involved, but was obviously trying to spontaneously develop the art of 'I-really-don't-know-her' jutsu. Oberi was snagged from the fleeing masses, and now hung defeated in the hands of the instructor.

"Nakajima! Frist! Lanster! My office. Now!"

"…yes, sir" they all said in shame as they turned to follow.

"I told you we should have put it off" Ethan said to Subaru under his breath. She simply stuck her tongue out at him.

****

Teana Lanster and Oberi Grey were both standing outside the administrators' office, waiting to collect their respective partners. By proxy of being partners (at least in Teana's sake) they had both received the same punishment as the two fighters - one week of additional duty - cleaning toilets, groundswork, that sort of thing to take up one hour each morning and 4 every evening.

Lanster had a scowl on her face, but when an honor student like her who didn't even want a partner like that get's dragged into this stuff, a slightly irate mood is to be expected, right?

Grey, in contrast, thought the whole thing was appropriately funny, and nursed a whimsical smile as he thought about how to better exploit his partner next time. His mood didn't help the orange haired girl though, as her scowl deepened.

Finally, Teana snapped. "What's wrong with you!?" she hissed angrily at the taller boy. "What did I ever do to you to disserve this?"

"Moa?" the curly haired guy asked, putting his hand to his chest for effect. "I was not the one fighting" he said in his best state-the-obvious voice.

"Shut up!" She snapped, a vein bulging on her forehead. "You set the whole thing up, and dragged us all into it. This is all your fault you ass!"

"Be at peace my friend. I only did what I felt would strengthen the bonds of our collective friendships."

Teana shivered, obviously trying to suppress her rage. She succeeded, but only barely. "She is not my friend, you are not my friend, He is not my friend, and if we weren't in the same training group I'd never even look at any of you again!"

"You would deny the euphoric bonds of youthful friendship?" Grey looked like he was in genuine shock at that statement. "How? What tragedy must have occurred in your past to merit this unnatural and unholy behavior?"

"That's none of your damn business!" she said as the door finally opened, spilling out two shame-filled youths. Without even waiting, She grabbed her trying-to-apologize roommate and started to drag her off. She had a bit of yelling to do herself on this matter. "And if you ever do something like this again" she yelled over her shoulder "than I'm going to earn my punishment with your spleen!"

Oberi, Ethan, and even a quickly disappearing Subaru looked at Teana in mild shock at that last statement. Perpetually serious and sometimes angry, sure, but they never knew she could talk so violently.

The two guys looked at each other for a brief moment, and simultaneously shrugged. "Shall we go?" Oberi said. Ethan nodded and they walked off.

They were stopped in the main lobby by Lara calling over to them. She actually *Swaggered* over and gave the taller boy an *almost* pleasant smile. "If you'd please" she said as she held out a pad.

Oberi sighed and pushed a few buttons on the pad, causing a number to appear near the top. Lara inspected the number and her smile grew. "Thank you" she said in a singsong as she carefully put the pad away. She leaned in closer to Ethan and pinched him on his injured cheek. "You be sure to win me some more money now, k?" she giggled and skipped off.

"What just happened?" Ethan asked of his companion.

"She was the only one to bet on the fight being cut short. Sorry my friend, no earnings this time"

Ethan drooped his head. He became friendly with a girl he didn't want to know, Got beaten up by her, got into trouble, violated his no-fighting-for-the-spectators moral, probably worsened his changes to the canon plotline, lost his hard-earned reputation among his peers, and didn't even get any of the much needed money he needed. Epic failure.

In the shower later, Ethan benched the other stuff to concentrate on the fight. He had more skill than her, that much was certain. She was strong though. Mechanically reinforced frame or not, she had managed to injure him something good, a feat he felt intimately as he massaged his many bruises and struggled to see out of his swollen left eye.

Since his magic is so pathetic, he was hoping in some way that his martial prowess would make up for the shortfall. Obviously that's not so much the case anymore. Throw some magic into the equation and he'd be done. He needed much more training if he was going to be anywhere near effective with his art, training he couldn't get on his already tight schedule.

His creative ideas would still take a while to finish, and it was his hope that he could win out against stronger opponents (most everyone really) if he used those tricks right, however they were only tricks, and he knew it.

He needed something else, some edge over the magic, and simply understanding it on a formulae level won't do anything. The problem there was that nothing was coming to mind.

Ethan mulled over the issue long enough that he missed breakfast, which only served to worsen his mood.

****

Subaru was absent the next day, sent away for a maintenance checkup. The official excuse was a private checkup with her family doctor, but Ethan knew better, and felt a little better about it all that he hurt her enough to merit it. She came back that evening looking as healthy and chipper as ever.

The rest of the week was cleaning, training, and people asking when the next fight's gonna be.

After the punishment, Ethan and Subaru resumed their normal morning regiment, though after a few days (when people stopped coming out in hopes of seeing another fight) they incorporated a period of light sparing.

Other than that, routine resumed as it always had.

****

Ethan sat up from the impact crater he was lying in. His skin was slightly cooked, his pants were seared up to the knees, and he had a huge grin on his face. It was the middle of the night, deep in the woods behind the dorms, and he was testing out a new spell he had been working on.

The spell was a resounding success. Half a blitzball field away was the blackened ground where he started, and the explosion sent him all the way over here in a split second!

The direction and round shield strength would have to be fine tuned, and he'd of course need some practice. It also took a large chunk of his magic to do it, so a version for shorter jumps would also be necessary. His BA modifications had worked wonders though, so continuing its modifications along the same thread were looking to be a good idea.

There was a rustle, and one of the instructors appeared to investigate the explosion. "Trainee Frist" he called out when he saw the guy. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine sir" Ethan said as he stood up and went to attention.

"What happened here?"

"I'm sorry sir, I was testing out a new spell when it exploded"

The instructor looked around, saw the blast area and nodded in understanding. "You've got to be careful with new spells. Was it from a private developer or one of the mainstream ones?"

"Private sir" Ethan said. He considers himself a private developer, right?

"Privately made spells can have all kinds of nice effects, but you've got to be especially careful of shotty workmanship. I'm glad to see you had your BA on."

"Yes sir! Always" he said honestly

"Are you hurt anywhere else? Did you hit anything?" it was a pretty long impact crater.

"No sir, I'm fine"

"Alright then. It's very late. Check in with the clinic room before going to bed."

"Sir" Ethan saluted before moving off

"And come find one of us next time you want to test a new spell" the instructor called out. He took another look around the area. Decent sized explosion, with a long crater a good distance away. He was actually impressed with trainee Frist's progress if he could use so much of his available magic to do something like that.

****

"Force Jump" is what Ethan called it. It was a Grenade spell, with the timer, light, and projection elements stripped away, cast at his feet beneath a Round shield. The explosion pushed against the shield and flung Ethan a distance away, like a cannonball.

He got the idea from a time in his first life when he went to the circus. Young Naoko was enthralled with the Human Cannonball stunt. It was a way for a human being to actually fly for a short period. No tethers, no wings or other tools, just the person and the sky. It was a dream of his for a short time to one day do that himself.

That dream was short lived, because when he looked it up, he was able to see how often stuntmen got seriously hurt when the cannon was poorly primed, or when they missed the net, and young Naoko didn't want to risk getting _that_ hurt, just to spend a few second flying.

The Body Amplification spell changed all that. A means of surviving and remaining unhurt from impacts of moving like that. With that available, he could work on now creating the metaphorical cannon to shoot himself from, which he did successfully.

Fine tuning or not, the existence of his Force Jump spell opens up a whole new scope to his battlefield and capabilities. That rooftop is no longer unreachable.

Practicing and further testing this spell could be problematic though. It was a custom made spell, of which he doesn't have a licence to do. In addition, it can be considered dangerous to the user. It's one thing if he 'luckily survived an accident', but another thing entirely if they see him _intentionally_ blowing himself up again and again for the sake of moving a little faster.

Therefore, practicing where people could find him is out. He needs someplace private, a place where nobody would be around to see the flash or hear the explosion, yet a place that was wide and open so he could freely jump around without obstacles.

The answer was the airport.

Mid-Childa Costal Airport 8. The sight of the great fire more than a year ago. Crews swept through the place for a few months after investigating the cause and salvaging useable stuff and equipment, but the whole area remained abandoned since. He knew this was the case, because according to the anime the ruins of the airport served as the testing ground for the golden duo's B-rank test.

The training ground was located conveniently close to the airport ruins, just a 30 minute jog away, which meant he could get a good run in trying to go back and forth.

The area was still considered a condemned area, so it was cordoned off, the cordons watched by automated sensors and warning signs. Following another hunch though, Ethan found that the sewer system was oddly unguarded, so he was able to use it to get back and forth.

He took a deep breath and stretched as he stood in the middle of the ruins. The sewers may be unguarded, but they twisted and turned in such a way that it took him a while to find his way to the airport. Still though, the place was perfect. Wide, open, empty, plenty of natural obstacles to use if he wanted to, and no way for anyone to know he was there!

He ducked under an overturned building as a low flying ship flew overhead. Ok, almost no way to know he was there. He'd have to be careful of aerial surveillance, and satellites.

The place ultimately chosen was a large warehouse on the coast. No idea what it was used for before, but now it was a mostly intact structure that was HUGE! And empty. It was big and wide enough that he wouldn't be able to jump from one side to the other in a single spell, and the roof was completely intact to block view from the sky, and it even had it's own sewer access.

After doing a detailed inspection of the walls, to make sure it wouldn't collapse on him during training, he called his staff and started jumping.

****

Ethan yawned and rubbed his eyes as he sat back to wait for the next class's instructor to arrive. He had been doing his jump training for 3 weeks now, always late at night when he could go to and from without being caught, and the sleep deprivation was starting to have an effect on him.

His partner took notice and nudged him in the side. "Long night buddy? What are you doing at night anyway?"

"Training" Ethan said simply.

"Oh? Must be something really important. Well, you're not performing as badly during the day anymore, so I shouldn't complain. Easier on me if I don't have to hold you up all the time"

"Please don't push yourself too hard Mr. Ethan" said Luna delicately from the row infront of them.

"Don't worry about me, I'm fine" Ethan said, his words belied by another yawn. "'sides, I'm not the only one doing secret night training"

"Yeah, I'll say" said Lara. "I've noticed that golden girl Lanster going out at night a lot. Either she's got a boyfriend, or she really wants to maintain her position at the top"

"And which do you think my fiery maiden?" asked Oberi.

"Stop that" said Lara as she slapped him lightly from across the desk. It was an old conversation by now. "If she had a boyfriend, then I'd eat my staff"

"You seem so sure of that" said Ethan

"You just don't know girls like I do. Lanster has no friends, barely talks to even her own partner, yet still maintains her spot as one of the best. She's a workaholic if I ever saw one."

"Point" said Grey.

"So what's your excuse?" Ethan asked of his partner. "What do you do every night that's so secretive you can't even tell your 'merry companions'?"

The taller boy smiled. "Would you believe that I was part of a secret underground organization who utilized advanced alien biomechanical battle suits to fight off undercover aliens and other monstrous threats from beyond?" he looked hopefully at Luna.

Dawn giggled. "If it's you….maybe" she said "but otherwise, no"

"So instead of more lies, how about a serious answer for once?" asked the red-head.

Oberi closed one eye and wagged a finger. "Now that, is a secret!"

Ethan had to take pause at that, but shook his head at the thought. It just wasn't possible.

Luna giggled again, but her friend just said "Jerk"

"So miss Melt, I have a question" Ethan said as he propped his elbows on the table and rested his chin on his fingers.

"What is it?"

"It's a derogatory statement used to test knowledge." Lara rolled her eyes. "But that's not important right now. Why did you choose to hang around us so much, especially when you seem to hate that" he indicated Oberi with his head "so much?"

The girl in question shrugged. "It's not much really. I can't hate anyone who earns me a lot of money" she smiled at Grey, but in a way that promised a lot of pain if he didn't provide during the next big bet.

"You're fun too" Luna supplied for her friend.

Lara just rolled her eyes again. "Besides, most of the guy's here keep hitting on me. It's annoying. At least you guy's don't" she glanced at Grey again momentarily. "At least, you don't. Him I stopped caring about."

"Not ready for the dating scheme yet?"

"I'm ready" said Luna quietly, though nobody heard her.

"Gods no! I'm still way too young. What about you though? Surely some of those other tramps have tried hitting on you? What about that golden girl Nakajima?"

"Please, like I've got the time to date. I've got to train practically every waking moment just so that I won't fail out of this place" He yawned again to emphasize his point. "And don't call me Shirley"

"You're very smart" said Luna. "I'm sure that you could do with an hour less of studying a night." She looked hopeful. "a week maybe?"

"Woah, Hold it everyone" said Oberi. "I'm supposed to be the dashing hero of the group. Why is my little buddy the one getting all the girls?"

"It's because everyone hates you" said Lara matter-of-factly

"You are a bit loud" supplied Luna

"You act like a jerk and ignore what people tell you" mentioned Ethan

"You keep taking our money" said Will from 2 rows back

"Because we're not gay!" said another of the girls nearby, causing the room to start laughing.

"Honestly, you act more like a girl than we do" said her partner.

"And you're pretty ugly" supplies a third girl.

"And I'd like to begin class, if you'd all be so kind" said the instructor. "Unless Mr. Grey feels that his lack of relational expertise is more important"

Everyone laughed again, but quickly found their seats, except for Oberi who wilted under the shame.

****

Next time… A Chilling Encounter


	4. Chapter 4 A Chilling Encounter

All versions of Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha are owned by Masaki Tsuzuki. The Touhou Project is owned by ZUN. All other characters and concepts not found in either are owned without copywrite by Cryostasis.

****

In the hustle and bustle of a technologically superior society, sometimes the people like the opportunity to sit back and relax in a traditional manner, enjoying the style and low tech approach to taking it easy. One such facility flourished by catering to these random whims of the locals.

It was called "Flegra's Tea Shop". In the style of ancient times, Flegra's was an outdoor café. Cheep metal tables and chairs, painted in soft or light colors, laid out in a loose, patternless style deep into the sidewalk, with simple cloth parasols providing generally inadequate shading to each table. It was a place for people to sit down and enjoy a warm cup of Tea of Coffee while basked in the sunlight and a gentle natural breeze.

One man found himself enjoying the place far more than he thought he would. Always cooped up infront of a monitor or over a lab table, he had forgotten how nice it was to see the sky and not care about the deadline.

That wasn't his original plan when coming here though. Per a secret arrangement through anonymous channels, he had come to meet with a private contractee to discuss prices and conditions to an unusual job.

The man had arrived at the appointed time, and had spent the last hour nursing a cup of coffee while reading the News bulletin board off a small holographic monitor. "My agent will find you" my ass, thought the man. Many people had come and gone in that hour with no sign of anything other than a normal stopover. One such patron, whom he had hopes for at first, sat in the table behind the man, in a position to be able to talk. It obviously wasn't the case though, because that man was a boy who apparently still found the comics to be funny, the way he was sporadically laughing while eating his pastry.

He thought it could be the waiter (the place catered to the human touch), whom the man thought spent a longer amount of time roving the tables than necessary, but a simple test conversation disproved that.

It might even have been the woman who asked to join him when the other tables were full. But no, not even her. She drank her tea and made light conversation, then thanked him for the company and left.

Finally, the gruff old man gave up. He'd been had, the joke's on him, and as pleasant as the atmosphere was, he had better things to do than spend all day here. He put down his coffee cup with a measure of finality and moved to stand up.

"Why so small patience, Mr. Morris?" quietly asked the boy behind him. In English.

Joshua Morris forced himself to relax back in the seat, lest he draw unwanted attention to himself. English was an off-world language he thought to never hear again, letalone from a boy during an ordinary shady business deal. However many years it's been though, the language was his first one, so one not so easily lost.

"You're late" Morris said quietly in the same language after ordering another cup.

"Mr. N likes not be heard by people not involved" the boy said.

Morris snorted quietly. "Your English is terrible." He Said.

"Mr. N. teach. If you not like, then arrangement over."

"Hmph, I don't mind, but I hope your Mr. N knows who's fault it is if you misunderstand anything I say"

"Worry not Mt. Norris. Measures in place."

Both continued to read their respective holograms, for all the world ignorant of each other.

"100,000, with anonymity" Morris eventually said, choosing to skip the small talk. This guy was obviously a pro, so he felt he would appreciate the brevity.

"Mr. N feel that Mr. Morris overestimate rarity of goods. Offer was 50,000, no more."

"I feel that Mr. N underestimates the work that goes into the goods. The price of the goods is not in question, it is the time, work, and secrecy involved that dictate a fair cost."

"Mr. Morris also seem think that messenger have discussion rights…" the boy put his hand to his ear for a moment "…ability to negotiate. He does not." The old guy noticed the movement in the reflection off his coffee cup. So that's it.

One of the banes of modern advancement is that the authority looses sight of the value of low tech methods. With the increasing ability to intercept and overhear telepathic communication, those in the underground channels have taken to using short wave RF transmission. Joshua Norris knew this fact very well. "If Mr. N cannot negotiate, even through his proxy, than we are finished here. Good luck finding another to fill such an absurd request" he waited for a moment while the boy murmered to himself.

"Very well Mr. Morris, though Mr. N feels that warning need giving. Others are, that Mr. N may approach with matter. Others who provide for cheaper. Mr. N willing deal with Mr. Norris, only from respect for skill and speed of delivery."

Morris knew who these "others" are, and he grimaced. He'll be damned if he lets one of _them_ score such a lucrative deal. However, he wasn't one to give in so easily. "I can go down to 80. No less though. It will be difficult to work the other channels I need with even that little."

"What Mr. Morris do with extra 30, Wipe ass with silk? Mr. N know of so called 'other channels', and feel Mr. Morris lie about difficulty. However, Mr. N respect Mr. Morris, so willing go 60 for trouble."

Joshua took a sip of his coffee again as he mulled over it. Honestly, the job would have cost him a mere 10,000 to complete, and still make off with a profit, however his pride wouldn't allow for such a copout, not at this stage. "It will hurt the process gravely, but I'll accept 75, and delivery within 6 weeks."

"Mr. N appreciate brevity, but appreciate quality more. 70, and in 8 weeks. Is very generous for man of such skill Mr. Morris. Unless Mr. Morris feel he cannot complete the simple task"

"There is no need to be snide, Mr. Messenger." He took another sip of his coffee. "I'll agree to those conditions. 70,000, and delivery in 8 weeks."

"Price cut half every day late for 3 days. 4th day, deal moved to rival."

"Since I am never late, I will agree to those terms as well. Good day to you Mr. N and your messenger" He didn't get up to leave right away though. In order to keep up the image of disinterest, both parties continued to read and drink until their respective confections were finished.

****

If anyone were in the Coastal Airport 8 ruins in the middle of the night that night, they may have hears some light bangs coming from somewhere.

If this metaphorical person followed the sounds of the bangs, they would have been drawn to the pier, where they would have encountered a large, empty, yet mostly intact warehouse. Coming from that supposedly empty warehouse would be the muffled sounds of explosions, it's rate varying from sporadic to staccato.

Should they have found their way into the warehouse, they would have been greeted with an unusual sight, a sight that would have been awe inspiring to say the least.

Ethan Frist was bouncing around the inside of that warehouse like a supercharged superball. Every time his feet touched a solid surface, an explosion would occur projecting him outward again at a high speed. He didn't just go back and forth however. With every bounce and jump, his direction changed, almost at random, though to the bouncer it was anything but random.

The rate of jump varied because of this. Should he attempt a leap from one end to the other, he would spend several seconds gliding through the air before jumping again, yet if he bounced up and down beneath the maintenance awning to the side, those explosions occurred as many as 4 times a second.

The Force Jump spell wasn't easy or cheep, but Ethan had been working on it tirelessly for a couple of weeks now. If he concentrated, he could cast it before his feet touched a surface, forcing another jump seemingly instantly. And as costly as the spell was, his own natural recovery rate allowed him to keep going.

He couldn't jump out of mid air very well yet. Without a solid surface to focus the force of the explosion, it wasn't able to generate enough push to send him anywhere significant. A minor change of direction could be achieved, but little else. He considered forcing his own mid-air surface to compensate, but an extra spatial locked Round Shield was difficult to add in on the fly, plus the mana cost was just too much to be practical, so as it were he spent his efforts on what he _could_ do.

The trick was in being able to flip in mid air, so that his feet were beneath him when he needed to jump again. It took a long time and a lot of bruises to get the hang of that, but he's able to do it pretty well in the familiar surroundings of the warehouse by now. Long range jumps gave him plenty of time to pivot, and the short range ones saw the explosion forcing him into a controlled spin to accommodate.

One of his jumps saw him flying right next to the awning. He grabbed the railing as he flew by, straining his arm and the metal as he pivoted on the spot, only to put his feet on the edge of the platform and jump off.

Success. However, he didn't remember that platform squeaking in fright when he performed that maneuver before.

Infact, that almost sounded like a person! Shit, have I been discovered? When he hit the far wall, Ethan jumped upwards, using the roof to jump again in an arc towards the awning. He landed ontop of one of the empty metal boxes resting on the platform and looked around. Nope, nothing here.

He tried the door, found it was open, and carefully looked outside. Nope, nobody out there either. Hmmm, maybe it was my imagination afterall.

He stepped back inside and prepared to keep going when something caught his eye.

It was a candy wrapper, half hidden under another of the boxes. The wrapper was still clean, the chocolate staining the inside still fresh, and he didn't bring food with him to his training. Damnit, somebody really was here. Whoever it was, that person is probably long gone by now, and Ethan wasn't confident enough to search the ruins without getting caught yet.

Well, nothing he could do about it now. He wiped the sweat from he forehead and jumped down, in order to climb back into the sewer. If he was caught, then he was caught. Perhaps he could argue his way out of severe punishment by showing how stable his spell modifications were. He could only hope that he could get away with it though.

****

"Alright Trainee Frist, Let me see a basic Snipe Shot" called the voice over the loudspeaker.

Ethan was standing alone in a wide, bright room. A target appeared on the far wall, towards which Ethan pointed his staff and called out the spell. A small ball of energy appeared and shot towards the target, hitting it on the outer ring.

"Very good. Now protect yourself from this" called out the voice. 3 lights appeared on the wall to his left, which shot out training lasers at him. He called up a protection spell, which absorbed all three laser blasts.

Calling up this much magic this quickly was starting to seriously tire him out. He was winded, and his spells seemed to flicker in and out of existence as he struggled to summon up the mana to cast them.

"I know you're tired, Trainee Frist, please keep at it for just a little longer" said the procter. Ethan nodded and held his staff up in preparation for the next task.

In the following minutes, Ethan managed to summon up several more attack spells, some more protectives, a small field, and several combinations. He was about ready to collapse after all that, but willed himself to stay standing until it was declared over.

"Very nice effort holding out this long. I only have one more task for you." Ethan nodded, too tired to even call out an acknowledgement anymore. "Successfully cast one spell you weren't taught during the training curriculum. Actually cast it though. No staff."

Ethan knew just what to use. He spent a moment going through a controlled breathing exercise to speed his recovery before standing up and holding out his free hand. "Blast away the obstacle before me. Oh holy light of destruction, I call upon thee to collect in my hand and explode at my command. Grenade!" A ball of light appeared in his hand. He threw it against the far wall, where it stuck and began glowing brighter and brighter for a few seconds before exploding.

In that time, Ethan backed away to the opposite wall and summoned up a round shield. The walls shook and his shield failed from the force of the explosion, but both he and the room remained intact. These testing rooms sure are tough.

"A grenade spell, huh? Interesting choice. Alright, that is all for now. Please wait in the waiting room as we tally up your score"

Ethan nodded and limped his way through the door that appeared in the side.

****

He slumped into the first chair he could reach, and let his staff clatter to the floor. He didn't even have the energy to compress it back into it's playing-card mode for storage, so instead chose to let it lay there on the floor while he collected his breath and struggled not to die.

"So how did it go Frist?" asked Lara Melt as she sat down next to him and slapped him on the chest.

"mmmrmGmmemf" he complained, not even having the energy to lift his head, letalone say anything coherent.

"Oh, don't be like that. I'm sure you did fine. You know what they say, 3rd times a charm!" she said happily.

"Please don't bother him, He's very tired" pleaded Luna protectively as she sat down behind Ethan and gently held his head up.

"yeah, I'd imagine so. Imagine having to take it 3 times. Got to be some sort of record!"

Ethan murmured something incoherent again as he managed to turn his eyes to look at Lara.

"Oh, don't be silly. Everything will be fine. You just wait and see" Lara said with a confident smile.

"That's not what he said" interjected Luna. "he asked what we were even doing here"

"You can understand that?" Lara asked of her partner.

"A little" she said. "Why wouldn't we come out to support our friend as he tried for his D-rank again?" Luna said with a pleasant smile to the head in her arms.

"Yeah, especially when your so-called partner doesn't even have the courtesy to show up himself" Lara spit hatefully.

Sure enough, it was his third time taking his D rank exam. The first time was an epic failure, and the second time he failed by only a small margin. This waiting room was becoming a familiar sight to him, though he'd admit that it was a lot nicer when it was only the three of them in it.

"Please be kind Lara, He said he had a family emergency, and that he'd rush over here as soon as he could" said Luna disapprovingly.

Ethan murmured something unkind as he struggled to keep his eyes open.

"Trainee Ethan Frist" said the testing proctor as he walked into the waiting room, a blank expression on his face.

Ethan suddenly jumped to his feet, surprising the girl who was holding him, and wobbled as he nearly fell over. His two friends held him up though.

"We looked over your scores very carefully, and even tried to bend them a little considering the size of your magic but…"

The two girls looked horrified with the man. Ethan would have drooped if he wasn't already drooping.

"but…" the proctor suddenly smiled "Congratulations on passing your D-rank exam"

Lara separated from the boy and gave the proctor an angry stare "How could you do that to him after he tried so hard... uh… sir!"

Luna dropped a little herself in relief, but was still able to hold up Ethan. She was stronger than she looked.

"Sorry" said the older man apologetically. "I couldn't help myself. But don't worry Trainee Frist. The next series of rank exams are more ability based then pure magic. I'm sure if you worked hard enough at it, even you could climb up pretty high"

Lara relented, but was still angry with the man. She was angry at most everyone for most everything though, so it didn't matter too much. She did come back over and pulled Ethan into a big hug. "Congratulations! I told you you could do it!" she said. The tired boy merely groaned at the sudden pressure. Luna also gave her congratulations.

"Well then, That's all I have for you today. Girls, if you would be so kind as to help Mr. Frist back to the dorms, he's done for the day."

"Thank you Professor" said Luna from underneath Ethan's arm. Ethan managed to throw out a salute, but only because Lara was holding his right arm up.

"Great! Let's go" said the red-head. "I can't wait to tell everyone about this!"

****

The door to the room slid open, and three figures entered. One of them of being half carried.

"I can take it from here" said Luna from where she was holding up Ethan.

"What" said the red-headed partner. "Are you sure you don't need help?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm stronger than you, remember?" Luna said.

"yeah, don't remind me" Said Lara dryly. "Still though, I don't want him taking advantage of you"

Luna giggled. "I'm sure he'll be a perfect gentleman" she said. She playfully pinched his cheek and pushed his drooping head around a little. "See?"

Ethan groaned something uncomplimentary about it, but otherwise didn't resist.

"Well alright then. I'll see you downstairs" said Lara as she left. The door slid closed behind her.

Luna dragged Ethan over to the bed and unceremoniously dropped him on it. She carefully took off his shoes, then dragged the blanket from under him in order to drape it over.

When it was done, and Ethan was tucked in, she sat down on the side of the bed and gave him an uncharacteristically mischievous smile. "We're finally alone, and you're too weak to resist, so I'll ask again" she said. Ethan was suddenly worried.

"Would you go out with me?"

She had asked that several times in the past, but always meekly, and Ethan always turned her down with an excuse about not having enough time or something.

The boy in question tried to groan out a no and ask for her to leave.

"Oh, comeon Mr. Ethan. Especially now that the test is done, I know you can find the time for one date"

Dawn had been becoming more assertive and insistent of late, so Ethan was worrying about how he could dissuade her from trying. She was his friend, sure, but between secret training, spell modification, and normal classes, he really didn't have any time for something so time wasteful. He tried to spout out some other pathetic excuse, but Luna would have nothing of it this time. She put a finger on his lips to quiet him, kissed him on the forehead, and leaned in close to his ears.

"I know what you're doing at night" she whispered, then stood up and went for the door.

Ethan's eyes shot open and he reached out to stop her, but she was too far away and he just fell on the floor instead.

"I'll see you Sunday at 4 than" she said with a sweet smile, before leaving.

As the door silently slid shut behind her, Ethan's outstretched arm fell in defeat.

For a few days since that time in the warehouse, he hadn't heard a thing. Whoever had seen him either didn't recognize him, or was keeping shut about it for whatever reason they had.

He didn't go back to the airport for a few nights after that, instead choosing to bounce around the sewer system. The sewers were wide and expansive enough, yet twisted and turned so randomly that it made for excellent travel exercise.

Still though, he didn't expect his secret to come back and haunt him like this. Why was she so interested in him like that anyway? He had a world spanning incident he had to be able to prevent from blowing up the wrong way, and she wants to date him?

He couldn't do anything about it though. More and more things were piling up against him, and he hated not being able to see a way around anything.

He managed to drag a pillow off the bed and squeeze it under his head as he gave up and tried to sleep. Unfortunately, he suddenly found it something very hard to do.

****

"So how did it go?" Lara asked of her partner as she came into the common room. "Did he agree?"

Luna smiled sweetly as she took a seat.

"It's about time" Exclaimed Oberi from his spot next to the redhead.

****

Darkness…

Pain…

Suffering…

It moved through the darkness of night, searching.

It's master had orders. Find. Collect. Return.

It looked. It moved. It looked again.

So many lights. Not enough. Need more, need better.

Further along it moved. Hidden in shadows.

Too hot. It was pain in this hot.

Speckles of frost appeared over the ground as it moved.

Better.

There!

A light, among many others. Not as bright, but perfect.

Quality was important to it's master.

It moved towards the light, floating upwards, onwards.

Excitement. Soon to return to the cold.

Must collect for the master first.

The wall became coated in a thick layer of ice as it floated along the surface.

It reached the window, and opened it.

Two lights. One too bright, too hot. It hated hot. It will have to kill the hot before returning.

The other light was bright. Pure. Perfect.

It silently approached the other light. Clean. Pure. White.

By it's masters will, it pushed itself into that light. Such bright light, strong.

It was stronger though. White fled before blue as the light was taken over.

It fought. It struggled. It won.

It opened it's new eyes. The hot had woken up. The hot confronted it.

It attacked the hot.

****

All Ethan needed was a good night's sleep. Sure that night involved most of the previous afternoon as well, but he felt too refreshed to care much about the lost time.

The date looming around the corner bothered him a little, but he tabled the thought, deciding instead to deal with it when it happened.

His Linker Core was fully recovered, his stamina was refreshed, and he found himself really getting into the morning workout.

Subaru mildly complained about the fast pace he set during the long run. The run these days was a 10 kilometer route twisting through most of the training area and even some of the main base. It usually took an hour, though today they finished in 45 minutes.

Calisthenics was equally over exerting, though Subaru never complained about _that_ anymore, ever since she saw the effect it was having on her overall strength and physique.

Finally the sparring. On the grassy area in front of the dorms, the sparring was a sort of cool-down exercise for the two of them. A half combat speed martial arts fight where they mock-fought and tried out different skills against each other. Since it was an easy task, it gave them a chance to talk.

"So I heard you finally made D. Took you long enough" said the golden child who was already scheduled for her C rank exam.

"Don't get started. I had to hear enough of that from my roommate when I was trying to sleep" Ethan said irritable as he blocked a slow strike and twisted that arm into a throw.

Subaru flipped to untwist her arm and threw out a kick as she landed. "Relax Ethan! I've been rooting for you this whole time" He ducked the kick, so she spun the full 360 and tried to come down on him with her elbow.

He blocked the elbow with a rising palm, and stepped in for a combat shove. "Well that aside, I have a question"

She leaned back away from the shove, wrapped her arm under his and threw him over her hip. "What's up?" she asked.

He landed on one foot and swept the other one out in a wide sweep. She jumped over it. "If you were stuck going out on a date that you didn't want, what would you do?" He used the same leg to spin around into a mid kick.

She caught his foot and threw it up as she stepped in for a gut punch. "If you're asking me out, I accept." She said sweetly.

Ethan caught the fist, and fell backwards, putting his knee in her gut and threw her. "That's not what I mean Miss Nakajima." What the hell did he ever do to disserve a canon character fawning over him? At the very least it sounded like a joke though. "Please answer"

Subaru rolled to her feet and charged in with a one-two-knee. Ethan was once again impressed with how well she could fight while wearing her rollerblades. "What's the matter, don't like the girl?"

He blocked the punches, but took the knee in his gut so he could wrap his arms around her leg. He lifted her into the air, caught her other leg, enjoyed the brief moment his face was in her breasts, then slammed her into the ground ala professional wrestling. "It's not that. She's my friend, but I just don't have time to waste on things like that"

She kicked him away, and spun to her feet, this time waiting to counter whatever he threw. His watch beeped though, indicating the end of the session. "Then you should make the time." She went to grab her towel and started to wipe the sweat off. "One should always support their friends, no matter the situation"

"I suppose so" grumbled Ethan as he went to do the same. Leave it to Subaru to say something like that.

"Let me give you some advice" She said as she put her hand on his shoulder. "Just do it and try to have fun. So you loose a few hours from your precious studies or training. So what? We've still got months left before we're done here. Plenty of time to catch up" She smiled at him and turned to walk in. She stopped half way and turned her head. "Besides, if it doesn't work out, come find me. I'll make sure you have a much better time of it"

Ethan smiled weekly at her, but inside he was wincing. Damnit, please tell me she's still joking.

A scream suddenly pierced the air around them. As they turned to look at the source, a window on the 4th floor exploded outwards.

The two of them stared in a sort of dumb shock as smoke and the signs of a magic battle spilled out of the window. Then there was a gout of flame that spit out one unconscious Lara Melt. The opening quickly froze over after that.

Subaru was already on the move, skating across the grass. She caught Lara with a slide.

"No, Miss Luna!" Ethan shouted as he ran inside.

He was at the stairs in 4 steps and simply Force Jumped his way to the top floor. He sprinted down his hallway and began pounding on his friends door. "Miss Luna! Are you all right?"

The door was frosted over and wouldn't open. With a curse, he slapped a grenade spell on the door and took cover with his ears covered.

The door exploded, and even before the dust settled down, Ethan was racing into the room.

He was stopped cold. Literally. The entire room was frosted over, and it began crusting it's way up his shoes. He had to keep shifting his feet to not get stuck.

Luna Dawn was floating seemingly unaided in the middle of the room, her feet dangling mere centimeters above the frosted floor, and seemed to have been unaffected by the explosion.

"Miss Luna! What's wrong? Answer me!" he shouted. Luna pivoted in mid air to look at him, and he had to take a step back. Her eyes were completely white.

She smiled darkly at him and spoke in a voice that was not her own. It was much higher pitched, and seemed to be laced with frost. "Your light is small. It has no need of you. It has finally taken full control and you won't interfere" She held her hand up and jagged spears of ice sprouted from the ground in his direction. He jumped to the side to avoid it.

The open doorway was covered in ice spikes, preventing anyone from entering. Luna sent another spell at him, one he couldn't avoid this time. In a moment, both his legs and one arm was trapped against the wall under a thick block of ice. He struggled to free himself and pleaded again. "Luna! Snap out of it! Don't let that thing control you!"

She smiled coldly again. "This one can no longer hear you. It now has full control. It will take this one back to It's master" She pivoted in the air again and floated to the window. The ice over the window retreated, and She floated outside.

Ethan hit the ice with a smaller, modified grenade and screamed as it exploded. He was freed, but it hurt him up pretty good, as blood ran down his legs from the cuts he got from the shattering ice. He ignored it however and ran to the window. Luna was floating quickly through the sky towards the pier. She wasn't out of range yet. Ethan braced himself and used a full powered Force Jump to go after her.

****

Subaru was outside cradling an unconscious Lara Melt, while trying her best to explain what happened to the instructor. Many of the other trainees were already outside, looking on in fear and horror. The more responsible trainees and the other instructors were doing their best to calm everyone's nerves.

Oberi Grey finally came outside and made a beeline towards Subaru. "What happened here?" He asked, completely ignoring the instructor. He could see that Lara was pretty badly hurt. Several burns, probably from her own spells, as well as some frostbite.

"There was an explosion in her room" Subaru said. "Miss Melt here was blown out, and Ethan ran upstairs after Miss Dawn. That's all I know."

"Mr. Grey! Would you kindly leave this to the pro's and see after the other trainees? We've called for help and a team is already on it's way" said the instructor, obviously put off at Oberi's behavior towards him.

Oberi blithely ignored the instructor as he looked up at the damaged window. The ice over the window bled away, and Luna floated out of it. Ignoring all of the commotion beneath her, she proceeded to float away towards the forest, a trail of mist and snow following her.

A sound of a smaller explosion came from inside the room, then a much larger one. With a collective gasp, the panicking crowd below saw Ethan Frist practically _Fly_ out in the wake of the second blast, speeding towards Luna. Without even looking back, the girl sent some sort of light or ice spell at him, which he blocked with his arms. He was knocked out of the air apparently though, as he crashed into the woods below.

Without waiting another moment, Oberi took off after his friends.

****

Ethan took a high direction with his jump, and was glad to see his arc taking him right to his friend. A dozen shards of ice appeared out of thin air and sped towards him though. Without time to erect a protection spell, he instead crossed his arms over his head. The ice shards cut some light gashes into his arms and knocked him off of trajectory, causing him to crash into the forest.

The BA spell is a wonderful thing, and he was so glad he had it on that moment. Crashing through the trees like that hurt, and gave him some more cuts, but he was otherwise unharmed from the fall. Without even coming to a stop, he Jumped back into the air.

He didn't even care if anyone was watching at the moment as he bounced his way through the trees after his friend. The trees weren't that big, so his jumps lacked some of the umph he would have liked, but it was enough. Luna kept sending ice shards down at him at a high rate and number, so he was forced to simply bounce around instead of up like he wanted.

Beyond the woods was the pier. In the early rays of dawn, the pier was still empty. Luna floated over it before coming to a stop. Ethan bounced out of the woods a moment later and stopped himself at the edge of the sidewalk.

"Luna!" he shouted out.

Luna turned to face him, and spoke again in that other voice. "This place is empty. It can shift from here. Small light not interfere. It kill pathetic light before presenting gift to It's master" She glowed brightly, and sent out thousands of shards of multicolored light and ice in every direction.

"Luna! Snap out of it! Can't you hear me?" Ethan called out. He erected a Round Shield, but it quickly faltered under the onslaught. He found himself instead jumping and twisting to avoid the barrage of attacks, and even batting a few away with his staff. He still got caught a lot and developed a number of additional cuts.

The attack ended, and without wasting a moment, Ethan moved himself beneath her and Force Jumped up to her level. A wave of cold knocked him out of the air though.

She sent out a concentrated beam of ice shards at him, against which he hid behind a nearby tree. The shards managed to chop the tree down, but Ethan was able to avoid further injury.

"Pathetic light refuses to die, and other lights approach" Luna said with that high pitched voice. "It must be quicker."

Ethan broke cover and sent a Snipe Shot at Luna. Luna floated out of it's way and sent another of the shard beams at him. He jumped out of the way, but with a wave of her hand, another wave of cold milked out of the ground and trapped one of his feet in another block of ice.

Ethan couldn't pull his foot out, and looked on in horror as his friend prepared to kill him. Whatever she threw out, he knew that he couldn't block it.

"Now small light may die, so that it may return to it's master" Luna said as she extended her hand.

She froze in mid air, a look of mild shock on her face. Ethan, who was bracing himself for the end, noticed it and looked up. A spot of color was returning to her eyes.

"Luna!!!!" he shouted. "Fight it! Don't give in!"

"E…Ethan?" came her real voice as tears started to flow down her cheeks.

The color from her eyes fled, she put her hands to her head, and the other voice screamed. "AhhH! No! How is it still alive!? It crushed the vessel's mind! It should be in control!"

Ethan managed to smash the ice on his foot, and once again jumped up to her level. This time he was able to reach her unobstructed, so he wrapped his arms around her, trapping hers. "Luna! Keep fighting. You're stronger than it!"

Luna spasmed inside his arms, and frost began to quickly spread it's way across him. He screamed in pain, but refused to let go. Her floating faltered and they both gently fell to the ground.

He held her tightly as she spasmed, her eyes flashing between colored and not. "No!" the other voice yelled. "It must not loose! It must….return…to……master….."

Ethan held onto her as tightly as he could, whispering encouragement into her ears. Slowly she stopped shaking, and simply stared up at the sky.

Color returned to her eyes, but it was different. It was an icy blue instead of her usual dark brown.

She spoke again softly, but it was in that other voice. "What… where am I?"

"Luna?" Ethan asked.

Her eyes widened in shock, and she started to shake in fear. "No! What's going on! Why am I here? I…I'm fading! I don't want to die! I can't die here!" Her arms shot into the sky in a vain effort to reach for help. "Somebody help me! I don't want to die! I don't….I don't….."

Her voice and shaking slowly stopped, her arms falling limply to her side as she stared lifelessly into the brightening sky.

"Luna?" Ethan asked hesitantly to the limp body in his arms. "Luna!?" he called out again, emotion clear in his voice. Tears began to fall onto her face as he tried to shake her awake.

"Luna!!!" he called out in anguish as the body refused to move.

He wasn't sure when Oberi arrived, but he felt a comforting hand over his shoulder. The partner was uncharacteristically silent that moment.

The girls eyes finally faded from blue to brown, and twitched up to look at her benefactor. "Ethan?" she quietly asked, as she weakly raised an arm to touch his crying face.

"Luna! Are you alright? Please tell me it's over!" he cried.

"You came for me" she said quietly with a smile. He nodded. "Does this mean you'll go out with me?"

He laughed through his tears. "Yes damnit, but not right now. Let's go back first"

"Alright, next week then" she said as she closed her eyes and snuggled into him. "I'll remember your promise" she said tiredly as she fell asleep in his arms.

Ethan looked up at his partner. Oberi remained silent, but gave his friend an approving smile before extending a helping hand.

****

The police and medical crew had arrived at the dorms, and were in the process of investigating the incident.

The students were all gathered in the lawn of the next building over, and were taking turns answering the questions posed to them.

Subaru had handed off Lara to the medical team as soon as they arrived and had rejoined her classmates.

"Look! They're back!" someone shouted and pointed to the nearby treeline.

Oberi and Ethan emerged. Luna was being cradled by Ethan while the taller boy helped the smaller one limp onwards.

Ethan was a mess. Cuts, scrapes, bruises, burns, and frostbite covered his entire body, his cloths were little more than rags, and he was covered in blood. Still though, he insisted that he carry the girl back under his own power, so his partner stayed around to aid him only.

The medical team rushed over, and Ethan carefully handed the girl over. As soon as she was safely out of his arms, he collapsed, held up by his concerned roommate as another medic looked him over and began casting healing spells.

Subaru broke free from the crowd and skated over to her friend. "What happened? Is everything alright?" she asked, worry clear on her face.

"I hope so" Ethan said quietly. "How's Miss Melt?"

"She's fine. She was taken to the hospital a minute ago, but they said her injuries were minor."

"That's good… I think I won't be able to work out with you for a while" he said.

She laughed at that. "Take all the time you need. I'm sure I'll be fine without you for a few days"

"We'll see…" he said, before the medic's healing sleep spell finally took effect.

****

Next time… It's been too long.

Yes, that was Cirno from the Touhou Project, and Yes, as a Cirno fan it hurt me to do that to the 9-ball. It was necessary for the story however.


	5. Chapter 5 The Big Date

Gee, I'm running out of things to add to the disclaimer. Uh… nothing much new here, so previous ones apply. Oh, Outlaw Star is owned by Takehiko Ito.

****

Cadet Officer Ami Limietta, Communications specialist aboard the Arthra during the 'Jewel Seed' incident, once commented that Nanoha (age 9) had an average magic power of 1.27 million, and that those numbers tripled when she used her strongest attack. Nanoha's strongest attack at that time was the Divine Buster, which meant that in her fight against Fate, she was able to pour 3.81 million mana into a single attack.

Nanoha's true strongest spell however is called Starlight Breaker. A spell loosly based off of the DB, which collects ambient magic from the surrounding air to empower the blast. Now ambient magic or not, It's pretty safe to say that the cost of the Starlight Breaker was upwards of 5 million, because more power and more effects require more mana, and SB has significantly more than DB.

6 months later, just before the Book of Darkness incident, Nanoha was able to build a variation to her SB, which delayed the collection time in order to greatly amplify the power. As expensive as an SB might be, add in a string to _hold_ that much magic for _longer_ means a much higher mana cost in of itself, so we'll say that the powered SB was as little as 6 million mana or more.

The book of darkness gained lines in it's pages based on the strength of the collected Linker Core. Most average Bureau mages gave it little more than a line or two. Nanoha gave it 23 pages!

Pressing further, In her first fight against Vita, Nanoha: Flew, flash moved, Wore her Barrier Jacket, Summoned up more than a half dozen high end Protections and Round Shields (that she pushed so much more mana into in order to get it to hold against Vita's guard-breaking attacks), Sent out a 4 shot Divine Shooter, A Divine Buster, and an empowered Starlight Breaker, and _THEN_ had her Linker Core stolen, filling 23 pages of the book of darkness.

For her to have managed all that, then her max Linker Core capacity would have to be as high as 20 million at least, though it would probably be safer to say 50 million, because aside from her Core being stolen, she was able to throw so much more into subsequent fights.

After all of that, it took only a Single week for her Linker Core to recover to full strength.

Ethan idly did the math in his head as he lay there alone on the hospital bed. 50 million mana in 7 days meant 7,143,000 mana a day (average), which meant about 300,000 mana an Hour, or nearly 5,000 mana a minute!

Ethan's Linker Core is only 20,000. Damn that Nanoha, she's able to _blink_ more mana than he can ever even summon. She's not even the strongest, either. That 50 mil is derived from _before_ factoring in the Cartridge system. Yagami Hayate, the master of the book of darkness, is recognized as being significantly stronger than Nanoha. That means that if Nanoha is able to summon 100 mil with her cartridges, then Hayate that _doesn't even have a cartridge system_ would have to be in the _hundreds of millions of mana_ available at any given moment!

And as if that isn't mind boggling enough, a currently 18 year old Hayate is ranked as a SS class mage, and there are mages that are SSS (Carim Gracia of the Saint Church for example)

Thinking about all that is depressing enough, but it detracts from the original point.

Ethan nearly kicked himself for not thinking about it before, but the Linker Core recovery isn't limited to a percentage. He may not be as young as Nanoha was during the book of Darkness incident, but he was very strong, healthy, pretty young still, and Mana is related to life energy, so his recovery aught to be pretty good.

Thinking back on his own experiences, he must have used well over 70,000 mana in his D-rank exam, and the exam took an hour. His natural recovery rate must be pretty high, and that's definitely something to think about for future fights.

During his Force Jump training, he stupidly assumed that his spells were modified to be pretty cheap. That may not be the case anymore. If he took the time to conserve his mana simply catching up to Luna, he would have been able to summon more for his protection, or a single measly snipe shot.

Something to consider for future fights. Of course, further cheapening of his spells is a must. His current strongest spell is the Grenade, with an unmodified cost of 11,000 mana. He only ever used that version once though, and that was to open Luna's door. It was a bit excessive thinking back on it. A smaller one would have done the trick it seamed. Still though, incase he needs that kind of a kick, it would behoove him to see if he could modify it in such a way as to make it cheaper yet still retain or even gain some of the bang. He's only ever shrunk his spells before

Whatever the case, it sure explains why he feels so healthy, strong, and recovered, even though he's only apparently been sleeping for a couple of hours.

****

The man chosen to head up the investigation of the training incident was Sergeant Roger Roshan of the Naval Investigation Department. With his short, slicked back black hair and crisp, ironed navy blue uniform (with a red stripe along the arms, identifying him as NID) he seemed to exhume professionalism and competence.

Indeed, he was a very competent man. No matter the job, he investigated it to the finest detail, wrote the most precise reports, and always came to the right conclusion. Why his rank isn't higher by now remains a question for the ages. Those who know him claim it's because he prefers to stick to the hands on kind of jobs, but when asked he simply refuses to comment.

Roger adjusted his perpetually worn sunglasses as he easily stepped through the cautionary hologram over the destroyed dorm room. When an NID agent requests to be alone, he gets it, so the man had the mostly undisturbed room to himself as he looked it over. Mostly undisturbed, because the jagged ice growth blocking the doorway had to be removed first.

Much of the frost had melted by now, but there were still large chunks of it here and there. His eyes glanced over those areas, his mind instantly recreating the shape and purpose of every fleck, snow, and puddle, as well as what likely caused it's destruction, in the case of that red spot in the corner where pieces of the frozen water lay in disarray.

He lightly touched the unmade bed where the girl in question slept. He then performed the same to the roommates. Then he activated a spell that marked which items and samples of the room needed to be collected and sent to forensics. When he was finished, a 4-dimensional photo was taken of the room and he left.

He made a calm, patient bee-line in the direction of the conflict, making an idle glance to the outside of the window, taking special note of the discoloration from the disappearing ice and pieces of wall resting on the ground beneath.

In the woods, he knelt in order to brush his hand over a blackened spot on the ground. His eyes found similar markings along the ground and trees in a jagged, yet direct path towards the west. There were also quite a number of shavings, splinters, and chips scattered around the same path, as well as an associated mark of damage to the trees for each piece.

The area outside of the forest was a sidewalk along the shore, a pleasant walkway for people to traverse on their day off or a shortcut to walk from the 7th residential camp to the pierside industry. After dawn, the sidewalk was usually crowded with people, however it was empty now due to another investigation cordon.

Roger stepped over the fallen tree, taking note of the damage that knocked it over, and began to look over the area. Wide, flat, unobstructed. A few of the small scorch marks were visible in the middle of the cement, but of a more interesting note was the wholesale damage. The entire area, including the tree line, appeared to have been hit by an intense, localized, lethal hailstorm, hail sharp enough to chip away at the cement. There was also some odd discolorization around some of the micro craters.

After marking the two areas, Roger went to the hospital to interview the children involved. He had their names, and did a quick review of their records on the way.

The girl in question: Luna Dawn. Magic style: Mid-Childa combat support and healing. Only daughter of the retired Air Combat technician Lieutenant Legacy Dawn. An obscure note revealed that Luna was adopted.

The attacked girl: Lara Melt. Magic style: Mid-Childa Fire elemental variant. Related to the Melt and Sons Arms Distribution (MASAD) corporation.

The Savior: Ethan Melt. Magic style: Mid-Childa generic. Only son of Staff Seargent Joseph Frist, a low ranking member of the Ground Arms 912th battalion. Bottom of his class?

For good measure, the roommate/witness: Oberi Grey. Magic Style: New Belka Plant elemental variant. 3rd son of the Greyback Publishing family.

Roger reviewed in his mind what he saw compared to what he just read. The girl Luna used high end, elemental variant magic that she had not possessed prior to this morning. Possibly hidden before, but that didn't seem quite right. Her so called 'savior' used his own known spells, but in far excess than his Linker Core strength should allow. Because the LC strength cannot grow or be faked, it raised another curiosity flag in the investigators mind, something to look into.

Finally, he interviewed the children involved. He called them in one at a time, shook each of their hands in a show of friendliness and plea of cooperation, then got right to the questioning. Roger already knew the whole truth behind the incident, so the questioning was more to keep up appearances and maybe see if something else wants to come out through their words or actions.

The boy tried to hide some things, but Sgt. Roshan understood his hesitation. So the boy fancies himself an amateur developer. That explains the excess mana use.

When Roger was finished with the interviews, he sent the children back, much to the disagreement of the attending doctors. However, the NID are not people to act against lightly.

The Investigator then sat down and wrote his report on the spot. The information was detailed, concise, and complete, which was mostly for the sake of the forensics lab and records. The NID command trusted Sgt. Roshan's ability, so they typically skipped to his personal conclusion at the end.

[Level 3 magic possession. Issue resolved. No further action required]

Sergeant Roger Roshan meticulously tied up the loose ends and left to catch the lift back to headquarters. As he tried to input his destination into the airbus computer, it appeared to glitch. Roger adjusted his sunglasses in annoyance as he pushed the buttons again. Patrons behind him hoped that the system wasn't starting to go down again. It took 3 days to get the airbuses running again when it happened last time. Fortunately, it appeared to be a one time glitch and the busses continued as scheduled.

****

In a mysterious office somewhere, a holo monitor showing the news blinked and momentarily displayed 4 words in the lower corner.

[Stage 1 Awakening Complete]

The man watching the monitor smiled.

****

"And what the hell was all that!?" complained Lara as she plopped down onto the common room couch. "You'd think they'd be a little more polite after what we just went through"

"Now now, my fiery maiden. There are others to consider before thou may lament to thyself" said Oberi as he assumed a 'cool' pose, leaning against the back of the couch. He indicated Luna with his head.

"Oh… sorry…" Lara said sheepishly to her roommate. "Are you alright?"

The long haired girl was sitting opposite her partner, and looking downcast. "I'm so sorry. I…I didn't mean to…" she looked in shame at the bandage still visible on Lara's left arm.

"Stop that!" ordered the red head. "We've been over this before. It wasn't your fault!"

"Indeed" added the tall boy. "Tis a twist of fate, and nothing more. Thou should feel fortune in place of shame, for you have companions of such mirth to so readily come to thy aid"

Luna nodded, but wasn't so easily mollified. She was told about what happened earlier, and felt horrible for causing trouble to her friends.

"So what really happened this morning? Those doctors and jerks wouldn't tell me anything?" asked Lara

Oberi casually put a hand on her shoulder as he looked at Luna. "If it be troubling for thee then thou need not answer now"

"No… it's okay" said the girl meekly. "I don't remember much. It felt like a bad dream. One moment I was sleeping, then there was darkness, then I was at the hospital…"

"A Luna who was not herself attacked thee" Grey interjected, finishing for the shy girl. "Then fled. Our heroic friend gave persuit and raised sword against friend in a mostly futile attempt to render aide. Twas the maiden herself who resolved the trouble and came back."

"Are you feeling alright though? Do you feel any different?" Lara was concerned for her friend, but liked to know answers as well.

"I….I don't feel any different" said Luna as she considered. "although…" she looked at her hands carefully.

"Although?" pressed her roommate.

"I do remember one thing" she said. She suddenly broke out into a big smile. "Ethan said himself that he'd go out with me"

The boy in question put his hand to his forehead as he walked into the common room just in time to catch that last part. "Ugh, I was hoping you'd forgotten that part." He said. Luna pouted as she got up and dragged him over to a big chair.

"So what's it look like up there? Why didn't you change?"

Ethan was wrapped in bandages, and had a loaner white shirt/pants from the hospital. His own clothes were irreparable. "The whole floor is blocked off" he said as he allowed himself to be dragged. "They said something about this evening when Grey and I can go back."

"What about our room?" asked Lara

"You didn't see it before, but the room is pretty messed up. I don't think you'll get it back anytime soon."

"Indeed, tis a sight of desolation without and I dare not imagine within"

"Then where will we stay? What about my stuff? My pictures?" begged the redhead.

"I don't know. We'll have to wait and see."

"Materialistic goods are a replaceable luxury. Mourn not your things when your life be safe my maidens"

"The only thing you really need for training is your Device. Do you still have it?" Ethan asked.

Luna nodded. "I always keep mine on me" she said quietly as she pulled a crystalline card out of a pocket, her staff in storage form.

"Me too" said Lara as she repeated the action. Her card was red however, instead of the standard blue-green. "Never leave home without it"

Ethan nodded at the foresight. "I'm glad you still have it. It would have been terrible trying to replace them. Not only are devices expensive, but re-downloading all those unique spells you use…"

"Trust me Frist, I know that better than you do. My spells aren't unique, they've been passed down through my family for years. As for the staffs, I could get all of ours replaced no problem." Lara loved showing off when she could.

"It must be nice, being rich" the bandaged boy grumbled.

"It's not that" said the girl in annoyance, but quickly reverted to showing off mode. "My family owns a device manufacturing company. All I have to do is ask, and we can get the newest devices for dirt cheep!"

"Oh?" Ethan glared at her for a minute, "I may have to take you up on that offer sometime"

"Sure! What would you need? The Sierra model? TR-420? Or perhaps the new Centennial 5?"

"…I have no idea what those brands are." Ethan said honestly. "Besides, My Storage Device works fine, and I'm still working on a magic style suited to my mana level. It's not easy. All of my paychecks for the next 3 months are already set aside as payments for a few developers I've been working with."

"What kind of spells are you getting?"

"Cheep ones. It doesn't really matter what they are, so long as I can summon up the mana to cast them. I can work out the details on how and when to use them later."

"Think thou shall partake in a specialty? Tis fitting for the underappreciated hero to be proficient in talents both unique and versatile"

Ethan gave his partner an irate look. "If I had the mana for that, I wouldn't need to go through all this trouble."

"Perhaps so, but I have no doubt that a specialty shall arise. Thou destiny hath placed thee in my care, so tis only fitting more that thee discover the means to surpass my radiant excellence" Oberi looked whimsically at the ceiling with a hand raised, trying to look as poetic as he tries to sound. The other three naturally ignored him.

****

The man paced back and forth in his lab, agitation clear on his face. "Where is she?" he asked himself out loud. "She should have returned with the specimen by now!"

"Jaltie!" he shouted out, finally done with waiting.

"Yes master!" said the green colored Chibi that appeared infront of him.

"What is taking your sister so long? She should have returned by now!"

"Master, If Cirno isn't back by now, it means she failed."

"Is that so…" he said as he glared at the wind pixie. "Then she was weak. Go yourself this time and bring me the specimen!"

"Yes master! But…"

"What!?" he shouted. The pixie wilted under his gaze.

"But master, Cirno was the strongest of us. I'll go, but I'll probably fail if she did too"

"Then take Grabile With you. Two are stronger than one. Find my specimen, Find that intrepid snow pixie, and bring them back to me!"

"Yes Master!" the Wind Pixie relented, too afraid to dare talk back to the man any more. She fled from his sight.

"Damnit, I need that specimen" The man said to himself again. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Mr. N will not be pleased."

****

The room would take a couple of weeks to repair, so Luna and Lara were put up in a storage room that was cleared out for them. They were allowed back in to collect whatever they could salvage, but it was less than either of them thought.

That week, surprise surprise, the training focused on Barrier Jackets, or Knights Armor if they were of the Belka persuasion. A few days of casting practice, practical target training (being a training dummy) to show them their newer new limits, and a class on when to use them and another on minor modifications.

Those who used a unique, approved magic style were allowed to customize their BJ within certain limits, so long as the shape and general color scheme matched the standard combat uniforms.

Nothing like those bastard genius mages with their rare intelligent devices and their magic academy alma Mata who can fully customize their BJ's.

To be fair, it really does take the raw processing power of an Intelligent Device to make a true unique clothing set. A developer can do it too (not many, they have to specialize in it, and it gets really expensive), but to that end the Bureau strictly limits who can use unique ones, if for no other reason than to be able to easily identify the so called "power hitters" or important people in crowded and disorganized situations.

Ethan, and 2 others who all had too little mana to properly make or sustain the Barrier Jacket were pulled aside in order to be taught leadership roles and more effective uses of their other spells. It was mostly a waste of time, especially for the aspiring developer, but the instructors felt they had to do something useful with these problem children. Most recruits with _that_ little magic usually drop out or fail out by this point.

They _did_ manage to get out it a set of LTT (Low Tech Tactical) combat fatigues, a thick, heavy combat uniform laced with a dense material magically enhanced to support the B.A. spell, and every little bit counts. Ethan would have preferred a different look to the fatigues, but wasn't in a position professionally or financially to do anything about it.

By the end of the week, 8 people had different colored BJ's (Lara, Will, Kyle, Ngueji, Monica, Chuck, and Grey), while only 3 people were allowed to (and actually did) wear unique ones. The golden duo naturally, Subaru wearing a set that looked like a shorter variation to Takamachi Nanoha's that left her stomach bare, and Teana who wore what looked like any common casual Sunday hanging-out clothes for whatever reason suited her. Oberi Grey, the male class leader, also was allowed a unique one. In his case, he kept the standerd style (colored in Heroic Green, yes there was actually a color called that), but topped it off with a large cape and flowery hat which he claimed made him look more dashing.

And so the week passed.

****

On Sunday, around 1pm, Ethan and Luna stepped off of the train into downtown Central. Ethan was wearing a casual white collared shirt and brown slacks. His collar was open, and he looked a little haggard from having stayed up very late the night before studying and training to make up for the time he knew he was going to miss.

Luna on the other hand looked fresh as a daisy. She was decked out in a beautiful blue sleeveless dress (with white triangles on the hem by her feet) over a white blouse, her collar held together with a red ribbon. She also had a large blue ribbon on top of her long hair, and a touch of makeup accentuating her face.

It was a gorgeous day in late summer, Sunny, with temperatures in the high 20's. Ethan found himself almost immediately enjoying himself a little. Having been cooped up in the dorms or training area this whole time, the change in scenery was very refreshing.

"Ok! Let's go!" said Luna happily. "You promised me a date today and we're going to have a good one whether you want to or not!"

"right, right" he said half heartedly as she grabbed his arm and started dragging him along.

"At least try to pretend you're having a good time" she scolded him. "you need this more than I do"

"I'm sorry Luna, you're right" he said. He did promise her the date, and he tries to never break a promise. "Shall we?" he asked through a somewhat forced smile.

Their first stop was a pastry bar next to the station. After taking 20 minutes to decide, Luna venerably inhaled an entire ice cream cake while Ethan sipped on his coffee.

The next stop was a stroll through central park. As it was Sunday, the place was crowded and had a lot of things to stop and see along it's many paths. The juggling mimes would be suspicious if they weren't there. A few street performers played or sang music for some spare credits. Joggers and other health conscious individuals ran up and down the walkways. In the east corner, there was an impromptu concert from a new local band trying to make a name for themselves, and street vendors strolled up and down selling everything from popcorn to panties.

That last one gave the pair some pause, but since it seemed to be popular, they shrugged and moved on.

Luna insisted on stopping and listening to every musician they passed. It was a little surprising to find out she was such a connoisseur of music. They spent a moment watching the fishing and toy boat races at the pond, and Ethan had to be dragged away from joining the impromptu Martial Arts tournament on the north side, though he secretly promised to come back later. If he knew that things like this were held regularly, he'd have gotten out more. It makes for good practice to fight against other people.

After the park they went to the big mall for some more strolling. At least, that was the plan. As expected, and feared by at least one of the two, Luna insisted on, and spent, several hours and lots of credits shopping, and he was immensely grateful that the shops delivered the goods for you, because he was not looking forward to carrying a bunch of bags for the rest of the day.

For his sake, they stopped by the Weekly Spell Showcase on the bottom floor, where he was able to meet, shake hands, and have a brief conversation with Tererun Fiat, one of the developers he was working with. Ethan secretly added this event to the list of things to do more often in the future.

****

The room was dark, lit only by the pale glow of the central monitor. There were obviously at least 4 people in the room, though one couldn't be sure if there were ever others hidden in the shadows. This organization was so secretive that they didn't even allow each other to see the others' faces.

"The preparations are moving forward as planed. I do not foresee any issues with it." said Mr. 5 in a quiet voice.

"Plan Theta was delayed due to a failure to procure a specimen." Said Mr. L nervously through the monitor. "I've sent others to gather it, but I do not trust their ability to produce. How should I proceed otherwise?

"Mr. R will be sent to look into the matter." Said Mr. N. "This plan is very important. If the C-class specimen cannot be procured, then increase your research into the control of the others."

"I understand. Mr. L out"

"Alright, are there any questions about this meeting?" asked Mr. N to the dark room. He was answered with a lone muffled cough and silence. "Very good. You will all be notified of the next meeting. Thank you."

There was some murmuring and shuffling as the gathered people stood up and left through different doors in the darkness.

After a sufficient amount of time, when he was sure that everyone had left, Mr. N pushed a button and opened up a communication line to another of his people. "Mr. 2, how goes the subject?"

"The subject is responding well" said Mr. 2. "He has shown traits in excess of what you wanted. I am watching him carefully in case he slips however. I have also began gathering others. I feel that they will serve him well"

"Very good." Said Mr. N. "There will be trouble in the near future, as we've discussed. Are you prepared for it?"

"No" Mr. 2 said with no hesitation.

"Very good. One can never be fully prepared for what happens. So long as you understand this, then you can strive to work around it. Murphy is a good friend of ours after all."

"I understand and agree. Will I be getting any help of my own?"

"Mr. 6 is being put in place now. When the time is right, the two of you will meet up. Until then, please endure, and do not let up your guard."

"Yes Mr. N. Mr. 2 out"

Mr. N clicked him off and opened up one final line of communication. "Mr. 6, what is your status?"

"I am in route and will be in place tomorrow." Came the feminine response from the screen. "I'm going to be there a while, won't I?" she asked.

"Several months at least. Do you have any problems?"

"No, I'll be fine. When my brother gets here, I'll be ready for him"

"Good. Any messages from now on will have to be sent through a courier agent. Are you sure you have everything you'll need?"

"You know better then I do that I'm as prepared as I can be. I look forward to our success. Mr. 6, over and out"

****

A bell rang over the door as it opened, admitting the two youngsters to the warm restaurant. A waitress quickly came over to greet them. She was a muscular, dark skinned woman with very large cat-ears poking out of her hat. "Welcome to Triple C's. Do you have a reservation?"

"Dawn, for 2" said Luna.

The waitress opened a log monitor and clicked through a few pages. "Let's see here. Dawn..Dawn… Ah, here it is. We have a table already prepared for you if you will follow me." She politely ushered them to a small booth next to a window overlooking the city.

"A C'tarl restaurant that requires a reservation?" said Ethan in mild awe as they sat down.

"Oh yes" said the waitress as she handed them a menu. "Cultured C'tarl Cuisine (Triple C's) is so popular that we have to book tables a week in advance, otherwise we'd be mobbed and Nobody would get served. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"Green Tea please"

"K'raxi's blood"

"Thank you very much. I'll be right back with your drinks." She said as she moved on.

Ethan was looking at Luna in shock, having _definitely_ not expected her to like such a spicy beverage.

"I love this food" said Luna. "I eat it all the time!"

"I know what you mean" Ethan responded. "I wasn't sure what to expect when I first tried it. I mean, it looks so weird, but the taste is amazing"

"And the C'tarl people are so much fun. I don't think I've ever seen one look tired or depressed."

"It's really amazing though. I mean, if you think about it, there aren't really that many people here from Non-administrated planet 17, C'tarl C'tarl, yet they seem to have restaurants and gyms everywhere"

"You know, I've always wondered, but why are they referred to as 'Non-administrated' planets? C'tarl C'tarl is a perfectly respectable name, and I'd bet my life that they don't refer to their own world like that" asked Luna.

"I've asked that question myself once or twice before." Said Ethan.

"And?"

"It's a tough question. In the explored Multiverse, there are many universes that developed in a similar way, creating world that would seem, from a grand scope, mostly identical."

"Really?"

"Yeah. Take the Ace's, Captain Takamachi and Major Yagami. They, as well as many others, come from Non-administrated planet 97, Earth. Now there are, at least the last time I asked, 27 Non-administrated and 4 Administrated planets out there that refer to themselves as 'Earth'. All of these 'Earths' are mostly identical. Same countries, same histories, etc. Have anyone from any of them walk into an Earth style restaurant, and they'd all recognize the food."

The waitress chose that moment to return with their drinks. "Here you go, One Tea, one K-blood. Do you know what you would like to order? Or should I come back later?"

"Oh, damn. I haven't even looked at the menu yet" said Ethan.

"May I?" Luna asked of her date. He nodded. "A large Energy Pot please. For the two of us" Ethan nodded again at the good selection.

"Very good. I'll be back in a few minutes with your food. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to flag me down" she said with a smile.

"Thank you" said Ethan.

"Hey K'inu K'inu! One gut buster!" she shouted as she walked away.

"Got it!" responded a very muscular dark-skinned man with large cat-ears from a window near the back.

"Anyway" said Ethan, "Where was I? Oh yeah, as similar as these 'Earths' are, there are still differences. If a Terran wanted to go back home, we couldn't just send them to any 'ol Earth, their friends and family and homes wouldn't exist in them."

"I'm sorry, Terran?"

"Oh, sorry. The people of Earth refer to themselves as Terrans, because their scientific name for their own planet is 'Terra'. It sounds a lot better than 'Earthian', or 'Earthling'."

"Oh. You sure know a lot about them"

Ethan shrugged. "I see it a lot in movies" he lied. "Anyway, in order for us in Mid-Childa to identify which is which, we refer to the different worlds as 'Administrated planet whatever' then the name. It helps avoid confusion."

"Ok, I think I understand. But still, why use such a clinical sounding term? Why not just say 'Earth 5' or give them each a unique name?"

"I'm not too sure about that, but I'd believe that something like that would be insulting to the locals. They don't refer to their home world by anything other than 'Earth', and calling it anything else would serve to belittle it. This way, we can identify _which_ earth they came from, what level of authority we hold there, and still maintain the dignity they disserve."

"Ok, I think I understand" said Luna. "Does that similar world thing apply to other worlds? Or just Earth?"

"I was just using Earth as an example. Most worlds we know of have analogues I believe"

"Here you go, One Energy Pot" said the waitress as she returned, placing a large bowl in the center of the table and 2 smaller bowls in front of the guests.

"Wow, fast service" Ethan pointed out.

"Thank you! Is there anything else I can get you?"

"Can I have another Green Tea? Iced this time please" said Ethan.

"I'm good, Thank you" said Luna.

"You got it. Enjoy your meal!"

Ethan wasn't joking when he mentioned the appearance of the food. The pot was filled with a bubbling purple liquid, and had two giant fish heads, several small animal legs, some strangely colored vegetables, and a skeleton of something sticking out of it. Neither of them even blinked as they unhesitatingly grabbed each of them a fish head, some of the other stuff, and ladled some of the steaming liquid into their own bowls.

Ethan took a large bite of his fish head. A little bit of the eye fluid rolled down his chin, which he wiped away quickly while he chewed and swallowed. "So… about last week" he finally broached. None of them had spoken a word of the incident since.

Luna paused a moment before slurping up some of the liquid.

"What really happened? Were you really unconscious the whole time?"

Luna put down her spoon and started trembling a little.

"I'm sorry" said Ethan as he reached across the table to comfort her. "If it's still a bad time…"

"No…" she said quietly "it's alright" she dabbed at her eyes with her napkin. "I…li.."

"What was that?"

"I…lied" she said quietly. "I remember what happened."

Ethan waited patiently as she collected herself.

"I was awake the whole time…but… it was like I was watching a movie out of my own body. I couldn't do anything, not even turn my own eyes. I was screaming the whole time…but I couldn't do anything but watch as I hurt both you and Lara."

"Do you know what did that?"

"No… I think It was a possession from a ghost or something. It was a girl, and she kept telling me how she was taking over and taking me back somewhere. Somewhere to someone she called 'master'."

"You eventually did regain control though" Ethan said.

"yes… at one point she started leaving…no that's not right. She didn't go anywhere, she just…"

"But she's gone now, right?" he asked

"Yes…no… that's the thing… I'm not sure what happened. It's just…" She held out her hand, which trembled a moment, but quickly a soft glow turned into some mist which quickly turned into an icicle.

Ethan's eyes were boggling. "That is…"

"un… I don't think I feel her anymore, but I can do everything that she could, like I stole it or something. It's like I took control of her instead, and that scares me!"

"Is that magic?" he asked

"I don't know. It doesn't feel like our magic, but I wouldn't know what else to call it".

Ethan sat back and crossed his arms in contemplation. "Have you told anyone else about this?"

"Just Lara. She said not to tell anyone else"

"hmmmm… I think I might agree with her." he said.

"But why?" she asked, nearly desperately. "If we told someone, couldn't they help figure out why? Like the teachers, or the investigators?"

"Maybe…probably… The Bureau is very open minded about unique abilities. It's just…"

"Just?"

"They might consider this one different. If you really did steal that ability, like you think, then no matter the situation behind it, the Bureau might think that you could learn to do it again. If you do have that kind of ability, it could make you very dangerous if you continuously stole other people's abilities, and the TSAB is notorious for stopping dangerous situations from coming to pass. To that end, I don't know what they'd do to you should they learn about this. I don't want anything to happen to you if we can prevent it"

Luna smiled despite herself. "Ok…" she said. "I'll trust you. It's just…" her smile disappeared. "That girl…what I did to her…"

"Stop that" he ordered. "No matter what she was or what she was trying to do, she was a very bad girl doing very bad things and needed to be stopped. Regardless, you need to remember one very important thing." She looked up at him. "You. Did. Not. Do. Anything. Wrong! We are your friends and we all support you, but do not let yourself get depressed over something you couldn't control. Even if you accidentally do something very bad, if you didn't intend it and you didn't try to do it then it is not your fault and shouldn't stop you from moving forward."

"Ok, I understand" she said. Then in a quieter voice she added "thank you…"

"Right. With that aside, let's finish our food." He said with a smile, and they both started eating again, though a little slower, and for some reason it didn't taste as good anymore.

Ethan was quiet for the rest of the meal as he contemplated his own words.

****

Ethan and Luna were back in the dorms. It was dark out now, and only a few of their fellow trainees were seen in the common areas.

"Thank you for taking me out today, even if you didn't want to"

Ethan smiled. "It's ok. I had a better time then I thought I would. Though I'm sorry I ruined it at the end there"

"That's fine" she said. "I needed to get that off my chest anyway." She smiled at him. "So can we go out again sometime?" she asked hopefully

Ethan laughed. "Sure. I'm busy next week, but how about after the Excursion?"

"What!? I have to wait 3 whole weeks for another date?"

Ethan laughed again. "Don't worry about it. The time will go by faster than you think. Until then, we see each other every day anyway, so there's no problem!"

Luna smiled sweetly. "if you say so, but you better promise me a better time next time"

"I promise, and I always keep my promises, even if I made them under duress" they both chucked at that.

"You'd better. Thank you again for today. Good night!" she kissed him on the cheek and walked away towards the elevator.

"g'night…" he responded automatically. His hand came up to lightly hover over his cheek, which still burned lightly from the feel of her lips. He wasn't expecting to be kissed, or for that matter, for it to be so powerful.

He shook himself out of his daze after a moment. There was no point in thinking about it now, and he still had a lot of studying to do tonight.

****

Next time…Trouble starts again.

****

**The Misadventures of Jaltie and Grabile**

**Chapter 1 – Looking around**

"J's Journal, Day 1. We have had many a harrowing adventure this last half a week since our mission started. A mighty dragon refused to tell us what we wanted, so we beat it up until it begged to tell us. The endless stormy oceans cleared and spread before our presence when I demanded to pass. Hardened warriors pee'd their pants when I became angry with them and single-handedly conquered their army, and that was all before breakfast on the first day! Then things really started to get ugly."

"What are you doing?" dumbly asked Grabile as she lounged over the railing.

"Can't you see? I'm writing a log of our great adventures so that the Master will reward me when we return triumphant!" Said Jaltie as she posed on the railing. Jaltie is a Wind pixie, standing a mighty 6 inches tall. Her green dress flowed in no wind, as well as her similarly colored hair. Her wings were so thin and fine that they gave the appearance of a constantly flowing mist.

"But we didn't do any of those things" said Grabile lazily from her spot as she looked at her sister with completely white eyes. Grabile is an Earth pixie, fat by her people's standards, and sometimes lazier than a sleeping sloth. She didn't have wings, but instead a hardened shell that wouldn't look out of place if it were buried under the soil deep enough.

"The Master doesn't know that!" said Jaltie. "What he doesn't know won't hurt him, and what he does know is what we tell him! So if we tell him how good we are, he'll reward us. Right?"

"If you say so…"

"Of course I say so! I'm the smart one here! Now silence while I dictate the rest. Are you writing this down?"

"not really…"

"Good! Echem… Day 2! The day started with some intense searching. Our sister is very hard to find, but we perservered. As we approached her location, the trouble started!"

"What in the hell?" called out a young voice.

Jaltie looked over at the 11 year old boy staring at them. With the height of the railing and her own impressive 6 inches on top of that, she was almost looking him in the eyes. Her white ones blinked. "Begone mortal!" she said with a dismissive wave of the hand. "We have business here and it does not involve the likes of you. So tell me mortal, What planet is this?"

"huh? You're on Mars. How could you not know that?"

"Mars you say? Blast! You're incompetence has taken us to the wrong world again!" she shouted at her sister.

"What in the hell are you anyway?" the boy asked. "Some kinda bug?"

"W-What!? You dare compare me to those multi-legged cretins!? I'll have you know that I am Jaltie! The strongest wind pixie in the universe, and someone of my stature needs not sully her name by giving it to pesky mortals!"

"But you just gave me your name" he said.

"What!? Blasted, you tricked me! I will not stand for this indignity! Come Grabile! We're moving on!"

"Do we gotta?"

"Yes you imbicil! We have a mission to accomplish, and there will be no rest until we finish it!" With that, the Wind pixie opened a portal to the fairy realm and moved on, leaving a confused James Hawking standing alone on that bridge.

"Hey Jim! Somethin wrong? I heard you shouting" said a much taller, red-haired man who ran up.

"Oh, Gene. It's nothing. Something weird is all, but it doesn't matter. Any news on Melfina?"

Gene Starwind looked downcast, then angry. "Nothing. I'm worried damnit! Where is she? What if the McDoogle brothers are still alive? Who could have taken her!?"

"Don't worry Gene! I'm sure she's alright. If we keep asking, we'll eventually find some clues. Isn't that how it always works?"

"You're right. Comeon. Let's go see if someone new showed up at the bar"

****

Authors notes –

Sorry for the big delay. Lot's of things happened but who cares about excuses.

With the new manga Series' "Mahou Shoujou Lyrical Nanoha Vivid" and "Mahou Senki Lyrical Nanoha Force" now being released, all kinds of new canon information about the world is coming to light, and already it's starting to affect, ever so slightly, the previously written stuff. After the manga's are finished, I plan to go back and re-write the earlier chapters, if for no other reason then to fix the holes and make it more readable. That's a long ways away though.

Please keep those reviews coming. I cannot tell you how useful and inspirational it is to have fresh ideas and unique perspectives thrown my way.


	6. Chapter 6 Remote Survival

Charlotte's Web is written by E.B. White. Everything else I've mentioned before.

The crowd of trainees from all of this years' groups hopped off of the drop shuttles onto the grassy plane, happy to finally stretch their legs after such a long flight.

They didn't get much, as their head trainer jumped off right after them and called them to a briefing circle.

"Welcome to Administrated Planet 16, otherwise known as Midori." Trainer Kea began. "We've been over this before in the flight over here, but I'll repeat the mission parameters one more time for your benefit."

"Your task is to survive on this uninhabited planet for 4four days. You've all had the class on survival techniques. This is your practical exam for that. A person can learn all they want about a subject, but they never really understand it until they are forced to use it in a real environmentapply that knowledge in the field. You've already been broken up into groups of 4four. After this briefing, each group will be shuttled to a different part of the world, where you will be alone until the end of the training."

"As discussed before, you are only authorized to have 3three things during this training. The clothes you are currently wearing, your device, and this thing." He held up a small box that had nothing but an LED on one side and a switch. "This is your Panic Button. Should you find yourself in a life-threatening situation that you cannot survive through yourself, flip this switch and we will provide immediate Evac. That means, serious illness, major injuries, being trapped by a rockslide or avalanche, etc. If you find the need to push the panic button, do so. We want you to survive this, so there will be no negative repercussions should you decide you need to use it."

"Keep in mind, if you push the button because you are simply giving up, or if you push it by accident, you will fail the mission and have to take a remedial class before trying again. We are very lenient about what constitutes an emergency, but a blatant act of cowardice or neglect won't be tolerated."

"One final note about the panic button is, all of your devices have been instructed to monitor you and should you become incapacitated and in a life-threatening situation, it will set off the button for you."

"You are authorized to use any means at your disposal to do anything you want during these 4 days except gating. You are not allowed to leave this planet, by any means, until your time is over or you are evacuated. If you have a means of finding and reaching another group to join up with them and improve your stay, by all means, do it. Simply keep in mind that you will be picked up at the same exact spot you were dropped off."

"Because you will be scattered to the 4four corners of the world, I cannot give you any detailed sit-reps, however this is what I can tell you. Weather is unpredictable. There are dangerous animals and/or poisonous insects/animals in most parts of the world. Not everything is edible, and I promise you that you will have a difficult time."

"Once again, this is a survival test. If you can survive out here on your own where there is literally nothing, you can survive anywhere. Because this is a survival test, I would strongly urge you to try to make due without your magic first."

"That is all I have for you. Are there any last minute questions?"

"Sir!" called out a guy from one side. "We only have 3 people in our group. Is that going to be a problem?"

"Let me see… You're Crowlie's partner, correct? I'm very sorry to hear about his family, however a lack of one person shouldn't make an appreciable difference in the result. The training we gave you was designed so that you can _individually_ survive in this situation for months, so feel fortunate that you're in a group for only a few days. Special Forces have to do this in groups of 2two for more than 4four weeks without magic while being constantly hounded by opposing forces." He smiled toothily. "Compared to them, this is a luxury resort vacation, so enjoy your 'time off'. Is there anything else?"

He looked around, but nobody had anything else to say. "Excellent. It seems you're all prepared to tackle this head on. You'll change your mind later, but at that point it'll be too late. Allright! Everyone back onto the drop shuttles!"

There was a lot of grumbling, speculating, and complaining, but everyonebody did as they were told.

"We're here. Group 23, are you ready?" asked Instructor Tundra. There were only three3 teams left in the windowless shuttle, and they've been flying for a while.

"Yes, Sir!" responded Lara Melt for her group.

"Excellent. Do you all have your're panic buttons?" Tundra waited a moment while the group of 4four confirmed that. "Good. Relax Frist, People have been doing this since before they learned how to walk. Even you'll do fine in this one."

"Sir!" Ethan responded crisply. He wasn't worried about the training, he just had a bad feeling he couldn't quite shake. That, and he was worried about four4 whole days of development and studying he was going to miss.

"Ok, one last time. How long until pickup?"

"96 hours, sSir!" responded Lara again with a salute.

"Alright. Times ticking!" said the instructor as he slapped a button on the wall, transporting the trainees to the surface.

The first thing they noticed was the thick trees and foliage surrounding them. That, and how goofy Lara looked standing there saluting nothing. She gave her teammates an ugly look and crossed her arms with a 'harrumphharumph'

They all heard a noise and looked upwards. Through the canopy of leaves, the shuttle could be seen high in the sky. It turned 90 degrees and sped off.

"Huh, well that was anticlimactic" said Ethan as he sat down against a tree.

"Well what were you expecting?" asked Lara

Ethan shrugged,. "I don't know, aAn army of low level summoned monsters or something." He looked at his companions. "What? I wouldn't hold it past them to do something like that."

"R-really?" Luna suddenly started looking nervous.

"No, not really" said Lara with some annoyance. "You heard the instructors. We're not special forces you know."

"Well no, but we _are_ combat mages. There'll be times when we won't have the luxury of time, sunlight, or the safety of not being hounded by enemiesy when we'd have to put this stuff to use, so better to get us used to it now before the mission requires it."

"I think you're being paranoid" said Lara. "We're only 14…"

"I am 15" said Grey. He was ignored.

"…brand new to the Bureau, and completely untrained for apocalyptic things like that. There's no way they'd do something like that."

"Maybe, but I have an odd feeling about this training. Survival like this is easy, especially for a mere 4 days, yet they practically forced us to keep our devices. Why make us keep them if we wouldn't need to use them?"

"That's just because of wild animals and such. There's still a lot out here that we'd need to protect ourselves from, but those are acts of God, not a deliberate danger."

Ethan turned to his partner. "And what do you think, oh virtuous adventurous hero?" his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

Oberi hadn't been standing still. He already had his spear out, and had cast a spell to make two nearby large trees grow together into a sturdy, low-hanging canopy for shelter. "Thy words both ring true. Nary an adventurer knowest the path beyond the next hill, until they doth cross the summit, and less they know of the man beyond, lest he be friend or foe. The careless diplomat approaches with an empty hand, hopeful of a new friend. The nervous warrior approaches with sword in hand, fearful of a bad encounter. The true adventurer however approaches openhanded, though always within reach of his sword, so that he may always be prepared for both. That is if the man even exists. Many a delusional fool fell victim to the trickery of their own mind, and many a travel hast seen delay preparing for enemy they never see" He laughed at his own joke.

The group spent a moment comprehending that, or deciphering it in some cases. It was Luna who spoke first. "So what you're saying is… We'll deal with it when we see it?"

"Indeed. You grow in wisdom, my gentle maiden."

Ethan and Lara were both looking at Luna in amazement. "You actually understood that?" Lara asked with bewilderment.

Luna blushed at the attention and meekly nodded her head.

"She has been hanging around us a lot more lately," said Ethan.

Lara balked again. "What? So that's where you've been? I thought you were training."

"Well… that too…"

"She's been hounding me for another date. I just can't get her to stop."

"But you promised to take me out again!"

"_After_ this excursion"

"That's no fair. We have less than a month left in training after this! Who knows when I'll see you after graduation!"

"Telephone… Vidphone… Psyphone… E-mail… V-net…" Ethan was ticking each one with a finger. "We have plenty of ways to keep in contact."

"It's not the same. I want to go on _Dates_!. I'd lose my eyesight if I just had to 'keep in touch'!"

"Telepathy… Courier… good 'ol fashion Snail mail…" he continued ticking.

"Why won't you listen to me!"

"Why won't you stop hounding me?"

"It's because you don't listen!"

"Maybe if you shut up for a minute, I'd be able to!"

"What! How dare you! I'll beat you into next week if you keep talking like that!"

"Oh? Then why don't you try it, _Woman_!" he said as he angrily jumped to his feet.

"Fine then! Don't be sorry if you wake up missing a few limbs!" Luna shouted as she summoned her staff"

"Be careful where you bark. I bite, and I've got bigger teeth!" he quipped as he summoned his own.

"Both of you SHUT UP!" shouted Lara, interposing herself between the two. "Honestly, you sound like a married couple!"

"We do not!" they both said in unison. Then they synchronously harrumphed and turned their heads away.

"Honestly, you two. We've not even been grounded for 10 minutes yet and you're bickering like a couple of kids."

"I just wanted to have a little fun" said Luna. "And you especially need it. Being cooped up by yourself all the time is bad for you"

Ethan turned an annoyeding glare towards her. "If I could spare that kind of time, I'd be partying in a heartbeat. If you hadn't noticed, I'm always a hair's breath away from failing out, even _with_ all those hours of extensive training and studying!"

Luna returned the glare. "If you only took a break once in a while, you wouldn't _need_ all of that extra time. You're going to burn yourself out!"

"I said Shut Up!" shouted Lara angrily again. "DammitDamnit, I didn't want to have to do this, but as designated group leader for this trip I'm giving you an order! The two of you will not argue again. We are going to have a pleasant four4-day camping vacation. Is that understood?"

"Ok…" Luna said quietly.

"Fine…" said Ethan

"I said, Is that Understood!" shouted Lara as she summoned her staff for effect.

"Yes, Ma'am!" they both said with a salute as they jerked to attention.

"Good. Grey!" the redhead turned to the taller boy who was patiently staying out of everything. He, who looked at her. "As much as I'm loathed to turn to you for anything, you seem to be the only levelheaded one out here, so here's an order for you, too. Don't stay quiet at times like these. You are going to keep the peace, no matter what you have to do or say. You got that?"

"Your wish is my command, my Fiery…" She gave him a glare that promised endless pain, and not the good kind, should he say what she thought he was going to say. "…Leader" he corrected himself.

"Good. Now, in a shameless change of topic, Ssince we're here, we might as well get started." Lara dismissed her staff, and pulled out of a pocket what looked like a PDA from her pocket. She touched the screen with her finger, creating a larger holo screen, proving that it really was a PDA. "According to the classes, the things we need more than anything else are… Water, Shelter, and Food."

"How did you get that?" asked Ethan in amazement, and no small level of envy. "We weren't allowed to bring anything! They checked!"

"What, this?" Lara asked innocently. "I designed it to give off the same reading as a device. They never knew there was anything wrong."

"You can do that?" asked Ethan, his awe and envy ever growing.

"Well, Yeah! My family owns MASAD. I grew up in and around the engineering labs, so doing something like this is easy. Anyway..." she continued before she could be interrupted again, "...Grey already made the shelter for us… if that's what that thing really is" She indicated the now completed tent of bark and leaf. He nodded. "So we need food and water. Frist and Grey, you two are in charge of gathering food. We'll try and find some water. We'll gather here…What time is it here, anyway?"

"I think the sun is rising, so morning," said Ethan.

"Indeed. Provided the days are of equivalent length to our own land of home, I wouldst place the time as the hour of the Dragon."

"Huh?" asked Lara

"Early morning," translated Ethan, who, unlike the others, _was_ familiar with the Asian timing system, though he wondered why Oberi would know it. It wasn't commonly known in Mid-Childa,. "7-9 in the morning."

"hHuh, weird way of telling time. Anyway, if it's really that early in the morning, then meet back here at noon, whether you catch anything or not. Try not to wander too far, and if you're wrong about the time and it starts to get dark, come back right away. We can't have any of us getting lost on our first day"

"As you command," said Oberi. Ethan agreed and the two headed off in what they assumed was a western direction.

As soon as they were gone, Luna spoke up. "Um… I can make water, you know" she said.

"Really?" asked Lara

In response, Luna closed her eyes and held out her hands. The temperature suddenly dropped, forming a mist around the girl. The mist then seemed to get sucked into a spot between her hands, quickly forming into a large ball of ice. When she was finished, she opened her eyes and presented the ice to her partner. "Once this melts, we'll have fresh drinking water."

Lara was amazed. "Is that theat ability you got after that event?" she asked. Luna hadn't summoned her staff or said a word. The girl nodded in mild shame. "That's good to know, and we'll probably make use of it, though I really wanted to find a river or lake or something. I really need a bath."

A little after the sun crested the sky, the two boys returned to camp. Oberi was smiling and brushing some non-existant dirt off of his spotless cloak. Ethan was looking towards the east, puzzled. The girls were already there, chatting about something benign.

"Please tell me you've got good news," said Lara as she held her stomach.

"We've got good news," said Ethan as he looked at her.

Lara waited almost a half a minute for them to continue. "…Well?"

"Well what?"

"Where's the food? I'm starving!"

"We don't have any."

Lara looked startled. And hurt. "What? Then why did you tell me you did?"

Ethan smirked This was too classic. "I didn't. I just did as you ordered."

"B-but, you just…"

Oberi chose that moment to interject, much to Ethan's annoyance. "Now now, bBe at peace my friends. Per your command, I fear tis my regrettable duty to inform thee of the failure of our excursion to gather sustenance."

"Something happen?" she asked.

Ethan shrugged and shook his head. "For a forest, this place is rather lacking in fruit and small animals."

"…What about big animals?" asked Luna nervously. Ethan just shook his head.

"To our defense, we warriors possess a noticeable lack of the trade of tracking. Fear not m'ladies, twas only a small piece of the land we doth searched. Come hither and morrow and again, we shall continue until success bequeaths us."

"In other words…" Lara looked to Ethan for a translation, as usual.

He responded. "We'll try again this afternoon and tomorrow. We're all pretty hungry, but I wouldn't worry about it too much."

"Why not?" asked the redhead.

"A human can survive for months without food, but only 4 days without water." Lara frowned for the briefest of moments at that statement. Or did he imagine that? He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Now that I think about it, that's probably one of the reasons this trip is as long as it is. On that note anyway, how went the search for water?"

Lara smiled. "I'm glad you asked. We found a shallow pond a little while ago over thataway" she indicated behind her, or to the south. "We got some over there you can drink your fill from" She indicated a spot beside the natural tent that the boys hadn't noticed yet. It was a large leaf beveled in between some rocks like a makeshift bowl, and filled with clear fluid.

"bBut?" said Ethan, who sensed something else in her tone.

"But what? I was waiting until you guy's got back, because we wanted to go take a bath." She said as she stood up and dusted herself off. What she didn't say was that the water over there was Luna's, because she didn't want to have to trust the natural water if she could help it.

Luna smiled as she stood up. She was looking forward to it as much as her partner. "We'll be back soon"

"And no peeking!" Lara ordered with a glare. "You can have one when we get back, and you _will_ take one," she said while wrinkling her nose, "but I won't forgive you if you try anything perverted."

"I got it, I got it," Ethan said with his hands raised in an innocent gesture.

"Thou should not question the chivalry we possess. T'would be unsightly to even consider such an open act of barbarism," said Oberi as he adopted a chivalrous pose.

Lara glared at them suspiciously for a moment, but couldn't sense any lies. "Fine," she acquiesced. "We'll be back soon. Wait here until then.". The two girls disappeared into the forest.

Nearly a full minute later, Oberi spoke up. "Art thou thinking what I be thinking?"

"What?" the shorter guy asked as he scooped some water into his mouth. It was cooler and fresher than he expected.

"The opportunity to gaze upon the exquisite form of the naked human female, why tis an injustice not to take!"

"oOh? And what happened to all that chivalry?" He asked, though he really had been thinking it.

"I would gladly lay down my life in the defense of any woman, however even I am not without my own evils,." Ssaid the taller boy with a lustful smile. "Did I not make referencereferance to _open_ acts of barbarism? I made no claims to what I do in secret.

"Oh? And what do we say if we get caught?" Ethan asked, though his face mirrored his partners. "I imagine they'd be pretty pissed, and violent."

"Tis easy my friend. We simply do not get caught. What they do not know, could not in turn hurt us"

"Well, you know what my friend? I thought you would never ask." Ethan and his partner shared a conspiratorial grin. "We'll have to do this carefully. Saying 'don't get caught' and actually not getting caught are two different things, and it would suck for us in the future should we fail."

"You sound confident, my friend. Have thee a plan?"

"Nothing major. Simply approach from separate angles, and be as quiet as you can. Unless you happen to know any stealth magic. Do you?"

Oberi shook his head. "Very little, my friend. Will you choose now to surprise me with just that?"

"Yes," he said, and finally felt really incredibly proud that his months of heavy, intensive studying and spell modifications were coming to use. "It's not much, but…" he summoned his staff and said "Foothold". Nothing apparent happened, but then he took a few steps forward. His feet never came in contact with the ground, instead stopping a few millimeters above it. Not muchIt was nothing grandiose, but stepping on nothing left no footprints or and risked no noise. It was aA heavy modification to the Round Shield. Bby stripping away literally everything and building it up again from the base (projected magic circle), Ethan had found all kinds of different ways to utilize the various effects and functions of the Shield. In this case, the size of the circle was kept small, only 8 centimeters. It didn't produce any visible light, held a spatial lock (so it holds it's place in relation to the planet, not him), had a force break limit of 60 kilograms per square centimeter, quick cast, instant effect, and a casteor chosen length of use.

What that meant was, he creates, and steps onto, a small, invisible, Round Shield with every step, then before dismissing it as soon as it was's no longer needed;. cCheaep, fast and, quiet. This version was designed for stealthy movement, capable of holding his running weight and little more. He had thought about using it for mid-air running as well, to support the mid-air lack of mobility he get's with Force Jump, but there was a potential force error he hadn't figured out yet that limits the height to ground ratio. That, and it was pretty draining to try and use it too much.

"Oh! That is impressive!" said Grey as he understood what was going on, if not the mechanics. "Thou must explain to me the principal behind this feat. Later however. Shall we dally much longer, we will miss the exhibition."

Ethan nodded with a smile. Other uses aside, this was a field test he could appreciate.

It had taken them a while to find the place. The pond was certainly a distance away. The smaller boy had a blead on them though, having picked a direction that he somehow felt would be the right one. He was glad to see it was indeed correct. As soon as they began to approach however, they split up and circled around to opposite sides. As it was, Ethan was crouching carefully behind a shrubbery, enjoying the sight of the girls' backsides as they bathed in the cool, clear waters.

_The girls are too trusting_, he thought to himself. One should never underestimate the level of perversity in a human male. After all, even chivalrous people like Oberi and honorable people like Ethan will resort to peeping should the opportunity present itself. Like now for example.

Ethan Frist is a healthy young man after all. Fujisoma Naoko was a healthy man, one who downloaded porn and regularly sought after the unattached company of a female in bed. As Ethan however, he had spent a good 11 years in the body of a prepubescent boy, and was able to spend most of that time without his concentration being bent by natural urges.

Then pPuberty hit, and Ethan, who was able to understand these new sets of urges, discovered just how much he missed that side of life. It was almost nostalgic, how strongly he felt this way. Yes, a loud portion of his own mind argued against this, but he was able to justify himself. All he was doing was looking. No touching, no raping, nothing mean, nasty, violent, or illegal. It was simply taking in the sight of the surroundings, and so long as he didn't get caught, then that's all it would stay as.

Lara and Luna, in their splashings and play, finally turned around, giving Ethan the full view. His eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat and his mind blanked out. My gods, they were Gorgeous! Lara had her hair down, the wet follicles cascading down her head like a crimson waterfall. She had luscious smooth skin, and an extremely well- developed body for one so young, and with thin muscles withpossessing just the right amount of fullnessthickness. She seemed to exhume the raw sexiness one would normally attribute to a Nymph, or a Siren.

Luna on the other hand appeared smaller and more delicate. Her hair spilled over her shoulders, naturally covering her petite breasts in just such a way as to entice the imagination. Her pale, hairless skin reflected the afternoon sunlight in such a way as to give her a radiance of beauty that stood in stark, but complementary, contrast to the raw sexiness of her partner. If there really were such a thing as a fertility goddess, Ethan imagined that that's what Luna looked like, because he _knew_ that his sperm count had just doubled from the sight.

That was when Murphy decided to strikeen the worst happened. He was so caught up by the view and his own poetic musings that his foot slipped, snappingbreaking a twig underfoot. It was almost explosive in sound and and making some noise. Hhe tried desperately to catch himself with a Foothold, but there was a rabbit hole, of all things, on that spot, which causinged the spell to fail, and him to stumble forward. He came through the brush full into view, and with some quick thinking and a last ditch effort, he turned his stumble into a full-blown run, stopping in the middle of the pond with a splash, his back to the girls. Luckily, he still held his staff in his hand, so he might be able to make this work.

"Get back!" he shouted at them as he stared at the woods he came from, his breath ragged.

The girls had heard the noise and jerked as one in that direction. A fear of theirs came true as Ethan came barreling into the pond. He turned his back to them and shouted. Luna was immediately worried, but the modesty of a redhead is not to be trifled with. "What do you think you're…" Lara tried to say in anger.

"I said Get Back!" he shouted again over his shoulder.

Finally something began to register. There was a fear in his eyes when he came forward. His staff was in hand, his breathing was heavy, and there was an urgency in his voice as he yelled at them. Were they seriously under attack?

Ethan was glad his back was to them. They couldn't see his face. He was grinning like an idiot, still caught up in the view and reeling in the absurdity of what he's trying to do to cover his own ass. He didn't have to fake the fear, the fear of them having discovered him, and that fear led to the urgency he didn't think he could have otherwise mustered.

They stared at the forest for several long seconds, but nothing happened. Ethan wasn't about to give up this facadefaçade though. If he could maintain a straight face, he hoped there was a chance he could lie through his teeth and be believed.

As the seconds ticked away, Lara started to get annoyed, figuring (correctly) that this was some kind of trick. She started to step forward to say something, when a loud noise gave her pause and caused everyone to look at the woods again.

It was a stick breaking, and not a small one either. The snap was followed by a low rumbling that nobody could place. Ethan thought that it was Grey, making noises to cover his story. Then there was a very loud cracking sound, and one of the visible trees fell over with a large crash. Then came the roar.

Something didn't make sense. Making a cover story is good and all, but isn't this going a little too far? Come on Oberi, you're starting to scare even me now!

The girls were clutching each other, their own fear mounting with each moment and sound. A closer tree was knocked over, causing one of them, not sure who, to squeak. Ethan reacted to the sound behind him with a jerk, but turned back towards the forest when he saw where it came from. The rumbling sound was growing louder and closer, and he was honestly worried now.

Then the trees at the bank parted, and it appeared.

It looked roughly like a Chinese dragon, except real. Easily 5 meters tall, and twice that again long. It had white hair poking from between green scales, fangs half a meter long each jutting down from it's jaw, and a wicket looking pincer on the tip of the tail. The only thing it was lacking to it's Chinese counterpart were any arms or limbs, but that didn't make it look any less dangerous.

Ethan had gone pale at the sight. Grey couldn't do summoning magic that he knew. A real monster? Shit! They talked about it in training all the time, but to actually face one, when you're the bottom of the class of a generic military basic training course…

The thing glared at the three with almost intelligent yellow eyes, then roared and struck out with it's pincer. Ethan's training did prove effective, as he instinctivelyinstinctually dived out of the way, even asif his mind failedhadn't even registered it yetto register the gravity of the situation.

Something managed to penetrate the blanket of fear. The snake had targeted him, but it now saw that the two girls were easier targets, and was moving to attack them. They were too caught up in their own fear to react.

"Shit," Ethan shouted. He couldn't let that happen. He jumped back out of the water, then Force Jumped towards the snake, landing a vicious left hook into it's massive face. The strike knocked it's pincer off target, but otherwise didn't appear to have otherwise hurt the thing. His hand hurt like hell though. Those scales were tough! As he landed though, he rolled to his feet, his staff raised high into the air. "Signal Flare!" he called out, as a burning ball of orange light soared high into the air. Orange, the color of "send assistance NOW", which he desperately hoped Grey would see, if he weren't already watching. In almost the same motion however, he sent a second one into the face of the monster, causing it to screech in annoyance at the bright light.

The girls, seeing Ethan fight, finally snapped out of their stupor and started acting like their training mandated. Their clothes were drying on a nearby branch, but they both had their devices hanging around their necks. In less time then they thought they could muster, they had their Barrier Jackets on, Stavesffs out, and were spreading out to join the fight.

Ethan was Force Jumping around madly between trees across the pond trying to avoid the monster which had deemed him finally the more important target. One of his jumps took him down on some mud, on which he slipped and fell. Before he could recover, the snake had him in it's sights and let loose with it's pincer again.

"Fireball!" called Lara. An explosion of flames knocked the tail aside. Luna followed that with "Rapid Shot!", a stream of Snipe Shots towards it's belly. Ethan took that opportunity to jump onto it's head, and managed to slap a grenade between the serpent'sit's eyes before being thrown off.

The grenade exploded, but did little to the creature other than annoy it. Luna's rapid shot had much the same effect.

"Flamethrower!" Lara's magic was slightly more effective, as the flames washed over the creature, burning away the hair and blinding it again. It thrashed around under the onslaught for a moment before countering with a stream of venom from it's mouth. The aim was off, and offset by a Protection from Luna, but it did force Lara's spell to end. Ethan used that opportunity to run underneath it, hoping to Force jump punch it's head up and slap a grenade or six6 into it's throat or mouth.

He miscalculated. The water muted his jump, leaving him flailing about helplessly in midair. The dragon lashed out with it's tail again, and Ethan desperately tried to protect himself with a Round Shield.

The Round Shield shattered like glass, and Ethan was thrown back hard against a tree. The tree splintered and cracked, and a bit of blood splashed out of his mouth before he collapsed.

Luna cried out and ran to his side while Lara covered her with another fireball to the mid-section. The creature roared in pain and started targeting her. She ran around the bank of the pond, avoiding strikes and venom while sending out pot shots of her own.

Luna had begun a healing spell on Ethan. He wasn't unconscious yet, but his vision was blurry, especially as he tried to blink the blood out of his right eye from a nasty cut over his temple.

Lara disappeared behind a tree. The monster, being none too bright, assumed that it was one down for him and switched to the other two. It lashed out with it's tail trying to crush them. Luna was aware of this, and erected a Protection, even without stopping the Healing. Ethan flinched, aware of just how ineffective his own shield was against it's strength, but Luna's protection held.

"Burning Bind!" Lara appeared again and used the opportunity to grab the creature in her own fire variant bind spell. The thing was pulled into itself like a twisted cable inside the rings of flame. It roared and flailed violently as the rings seared into it's scales and flesh, and managed to rip the bind apart with pure force. Lara didn't relax, instead hitting the thing with another Flamethrower before it could fully recover.

"Vine Trap!" Finally Grey made his appearance. At least, his magic did. Thick vines snaked out of the forest and grew out of the ground, winding their way towards the thing. When it made contact, the vines began rapidly wrapping themselves around the creature, trying to hold it down.

The creature flailed again, ripping the vines apart as fast as they could grow around it. Grey then ran across the pond, cutting a long gout into the creatures stomach as he passed with his spear.

The giant snake reacted to the attack and tried to spit more venom at the rapidly moving Oberi. It missed, but the effort allowed the still growing vines to get a solid hold on the thing.

"Fire Shot!" Lara had caught onto the ideastrategy and sent a flaming bullet into the side of it's mouth.

The boy then doubled back, swinging his spear so the tip cut into the injured side of the creatures neck.

The two of them then started to take turns, hitting the creature with different attacks from different angles. The monster wasn't sure which direction to respond to. That pause was enough, as the vines finally got enough of a hold to stop the creatures body and tail, as well as beginning to creep up it's torso.

"Fire Gun!" Called out Lara, using her strongest attack. A rapid-fire Fireball combo shot out of her staff, Each shot exploded, ripping away scales and flesh.

Oberi ran around to the now boundinded tail of the giant snake, hopped on top of it and ran upwards. He leaped upwards, using its head as a springboard andjumped off of it's head like a springboard, pivoteding in the air so that his spear, clutched in both hands, was pointed straight down at it.

"Blooming Pierce!" Ccried the boy, and he shot down like a bolt of lightning into the monsters head, the force of his passing spreading out, for all the world, like the pedals of a blooming flower., The knocking the creature was knocked into the water with a mighty crashsplash.

As the falling water dissipated, the three could see Grey on top of the monster's head, still, clutching his spear, which had pierced completely through the monster and pinned it to the ground. The creature spasmed and jerked for severala moments before it finally collapsed, coming to a rest just above the waters surface and stopped moving.

The crew waited a full minute to make sure that the monstrouser dragon- snake- thing was dead. Grey, who was the closest to it (still perched on it's head) acted first. He raised himself into a triumphant pose, with his left hand on his hip and his right resting on the base of the impaled spear. Then he spoke.

"Monsters come both small and grand, bearing tooth and claw and fang,

Bringing death and pain and strife, ending love and hope and life.

We the few and we the proud, bare the mark and shout out loud,

We do not falter nor do bend, until the monsters reach their end.

The creature came and bore us ill, we stood our ground and showed our will.

The beast is slain, the deed is done, rejoice my friends for we have won."

Oberi pulled his spear out with a jerk. He twirled it over his head twice before swinging it down hard, throwing the things purple blood away. Then he dismissed his spear, tossed his cape over his front and jumped down to go rejoin his friends.

"T-That was cool!" said Luna as he approached. Ethan and Lara had to agree. If he adopted this whole fantasy thing for times like this, then it was definitely times like this that made it worth it.

Lara's adrenalin began to fade and she collapsed to her kneed, panting heavily. "W…wh…What the hell was that!" she cried out.

Ethan looked up at Oberi, his eyes begging if that was his. Grey understood and gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head.

Suddenly, Ethan started laughing. His laughter quickly grew to a roar, until he fell onto his side, clutching his sides. He laughed until he ran out of breath, then finally forced it down to a light chuckle so he could breathe.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" Lara yelled at him.

He managed to bring his mirth under some more control. "Oooooh… Giant monsters. Good to know,." Hhe said

"What! That is Not good to know! We were almost killed!" She screamed.

"Now now, my Fiery Maiden," Oberi interjected before she could jump the boy, though she wasn't in any condition to even get up yet. "Whatever this was, it is no more. We are alive and none the unhealthier for it."

"Speak for yourself," Ethan said dryly.

"It's not so bad" said Luna. "I'll have you fixed up in no time." Luna was the medic of the group, byut proxy of being the only one among them who knew any healing spells. She only knew one, a minor healing that required her to physically touch the patient, but it still worked well enough against small cuts and bruises, thankfully being all thatwhich is all that Ethan seemed to have gotten. Having finished with his back, she moved her hands up to his forehead.

"What my words doth meant was; that we succeeded this encounter does give us cause for future caution, for we shall be much more ready for such future eventualities."

"I wonder if that thing is edible?" asked Ethan. The vines had by now receded. The upper half of the monster was pretty well much mangled by Lara's explosive flames, but the lower half was mostly still untouched, and looked to provide enough meat to feed the four4 of them for at least a weeka week at least.

"Are you crazy?" asked the fire girl. "That thing spit venom at us. It's probably poisonous to even look at it"

"I don't know..." argued Ethan. "I heard that poisonous snakes are only dangerous to eat if you eat their heads. Something about venom sacks. 'Sides, I'm starving. We've been without food all day and throwing around magic doesn't help."

"I know an Anti-toxin spell if need be," helpfully added Luna. It was obvious that she agreed.

"I wouldst say that this monster be the cause of the lack of smaller prey for us to prey upon. Would it not therefore be prudent of us to take from it what it doth take from us?" Grey put his two cents in.

"I still say no," said Lara, not liking being ganged up on like that. "I can jerk up some of it for an emergency, but we'll hold out until we can find less dangerous food first." She conceded.

"As you command," said Grey with a flourish to the redhead.

"Aw, come on. Just a little bite?" begged Ethan.

"No," she responded.

"I'm finished here," said the brunette. "You're going to have a scar on your forehead until we can get you to a real medic. Other than that, please try to not get hurt again."

"Yes, mom," Ethan said sarcastically. He touched his forehead where the cut used to be. In it's place was a scar across his right temple, similar but nearly perpendicular to the one he used to have in his old life.

"Well, at any rate, let's get back to camp," said Lara. "Where are our clothes?" she asked as she looked around.

"I fear that thou should forget about thy ruined threads my maiden," said Grey as he looked to the side bank.

Lara and Luna both followed his gaze, to see some purple slimy stuff melt off of a tree limb where their clothing used to be. The venom didn't like Nylon apparently.

"No!" Lara cried in horror. "What the hell are we supposed to do? I can't keep my Barrier Jacket on forever you know!"

"Perhaps I could grow for thee a leaf bikini,." Ssaid Oberi.

"You can do that?" asked Luna

"Mayhaps," he responded. "Mine 'Flora Growth' be quite versatile. I caution thee though, without knowing the intimacies of the local flora, unforeseen consequences couldst arise from the wear of such garments, such as rash, or insect attraction."

"Ewwe. No thanks." Said Lara. She then considered where they were. "…Maybe. Let's see what you can come up with first."

"If you'd like, I may have a solution" said Ethan. He had their attention. "I have a spell called "Cosplay", which gives you a set of clothing to wear. It's similar to the Barrier Jacket, but without any protective values. Since the both of you are Mid-Mages, I can transfer the spell to your devices. It's cheap, so wells of mana like you could keep it up for practically forever. "

Lara thought about that for a moment. "…uh, will it fit?"

"Probably not very well. It's a set of the male combat uniform, and my size. It won't fall off though."

"Yeah, that could work I guess. How did you get a spell like that? I've never heard of it before."

Ethan looked at her. "I made it."

"What? You're a developer? I've never heard that before." She considered who she was talking to. "Is it safe?"

Ethan looked at Luna for a moment, who had the courtesy to look embarrassed. "Sorry, I never told her," she said meekly.

"You knew?" Lara asked of her partner.

"It's safe, I can assure you," Ethan interjected. "I've been doing this for a while, so I trust the validity of my spells by now."

"A while…?"

"Yeah, I started self-teaching myself how to do it before I even joined the Bureau. I know better then you ever could how tiny my Linker Core is, so learning how to cheapen spells was a must."

"Then... just now.." She was looking around the lake, noticing the burns and splinters on the surrounding trees more. She hadn't payed much attention to it during the fight, but he was moving around and waving power in a way he hadn't before, even during tests or important mock fights.

"Yeah. eEvery spell I cast nowadays is modified first. That moving around thing I did is called 'Force Jump'. It's basically the explosion of a Grenade combined with a stripped down Round Shield in order to catapult me in a given direction."

Lara was a little wide eyed. "That must be useful"

"Yeah, but it's got it's flaws. It's none too cheeap, you know. Also, I can't use it without also using a modified version of the Body Amplification spell, or else the sudden motion and stopping would break my legs. I need a surface to launch off of, so nothing significant in mid- air or flying. Range is also limited to a little over a hundred meters, max."

"Don't give me that look," he said to her look off admiration. "I've spent nearly every waking minute for the last 6 months learning to do this, and all it amounted to during the real thing was me getting in the way and hurt."

"Don't sulk. You'll get better if you keep at it," consoled the healer.

"Indeed. Tis but one battle. Nary expect thyself to roll small on the bones with every throw." *1* *1*

"Yeah, what he said" said the redhead, who could never understand the tall guy. "Even if you did suck, that was still pretty cool."

"Yeah, whatever. What do you say we get out of here and back to camp. I'm still starving you know."

Lara stood up with a heavy sigh, and wobbled a little before catching herself. "Grey, go cut off a large piece of that thing and bring it back. Can you walk Frist?" he nodded. "Good. We'll go back first. You two be sure to wash up a little before following." She was about to dismiss her staff out of habit, but suddenly remembered what she would be wearing were her magic shut off. Instead she turned north and started walking, her partner stumbling to catch up.

That evening…

After they had restedWhen they were rested enough, the boys were sent out foraging again, while the Ssmaller girl made more fresh drinking water and the taller one smoked the snake meat. The boys caught nothing again, so they ultimately ate the snake meat after all. After the obligatory pretending to be poisoned gag, they settled in to enjoy each other's company and the campfire until late into the evening.

The girls were now wearing the Cosplay spell. It was as advertised, a generic Bureau combat uniform in Ethan's size. While he was one or three centimeters shorter than the girls, he was more muscular, so the size wasn't that bad on them, - other than a little bagginess here or an exposed ankle there – wasn't that bad on them. It was also the topic for this latest conversation.

"So… about this Foreplay spell…" started Lara. Her blush almost matched her hair when she realized what she said.

"Cosplay," Ethan corrected.

"Um… yes. That one. How hard would it be to adjust these sizes, anyway?" she asked, trying her best to indicate the slightly straining chest area without actually drawing attention to her bust.

"Very," he said plainly. He wasn't paying too much attention, merely contented to sit against a tree, staring off into the east.

"What would you need?" she asked. "My PDA is fully functional if it would help."

He looked at the girl. "Miss Melt, Wwhat do you know about Barrier Jackets?"

She had to think for a second. "Um… they're protective clothing created by a spell. They add to our physical abilities like a souped up version of the Body Amplification, and our real clothes are stored in subspace while it's in effect,." sShe said, listing off the basic text-book most basic description.

"Ok, that's a start. Did you ever ask Grey, or one of the Golden Duo, how they got their custom Barrier Jackets?"

"Not really. I had to ask to get mine in red, but Fiat took care of that in like 5 minutes."

"A color change is pretty simple, that's just a minor value adjustment. Anything more than that requires an Intelligent Device at the least, several expensive and complicated AI programs at worst, and/or a super mega genius savant with lots of time, failing everything else."

Lara's eyes got a bit wide. "It's that bad?"

"Yes. Worse. The Barrier Jacket is the single most complicated spell I've ever seen. There might be worse ones out there, but I haven't seen it."

"If it's so bad, how did you manipulate it? You're not a super genius that I've seen, and if spell development was that easy…"

"Yeah. I have those expensive programs on my personal PDA. It put me more than a year in the red and a large loan from my dad to get them, but so incredibly worth it to have them. Keep in mind, I haven't done anything significant to the spell. The one you are wearing now is the default Barrier Jacket I was issued., I just stripped away some of the more periphery effects, like the Broad-stat amp, Aand the Shunt Cocoon. The actual Cclothing part, which is 95% of the spell, is untouched."

"If it's that little, then why is this spell so easy to cast and hold?" asked Luna.

"Oddly enough, the bulk of the mana cost comes from the peripheries. It takes a lot of mana to access subspace you know. The clothing alone may be complicated, but it is cheap."

Late into the night. Lara had initiated a watch, which nobody had any complaints about. Everyone had a shift every night, and as the moon crested over the tallest visible trees, Ethan's watch this night started.

His was the second watch, and he hadn'tdidn't gottenet any sleep the last couple hours anyway, so he was looking forward to getting a little workout in.

He didn't want to stray too far from the camp, but he didn't want to wake up his companions either, so he contented himself with a light kata to warm up with, after Lara had hit the tent and appeared to fall asleep.

As was normal when he fell into the calming nature of the slow, deliberate dance, his mind began to wander. Not like when he was trying to sleep wander, but more like a moment of strong mental clarity, without wasting the effort to notice the change.

He went back to the fight with the snake earlier that day. He lamented at how useless he really was, but instead of imagining how things could have gone better, he started looking at other mostly-ignored details clinically.

Force Jump and Grenade are his two most used and practiced spells. Real world craziness or not, he noticed that he used lot more mana towards those spells than he is used to spending. Why was that? It was because of his running around. On reviewing the memory, he noticed that his martial arts applied as well as he trained it for, but his magic took a hit. He was unable to devote the same level of concentration to both at once, and his magic suffered for it.

Damn. That's something to work on. He had thrown the idea around in his head before, but this was the first time he had any real evidence of the interference, so his need to train on it suddenly jumped on the priority list.

_Might as well start now I guess…_

Ethan wound his Kkata to a close and took a few controlled breaths to help restore his continuum. When he was confident that he wouldn't pass out, he steadied his stance and began to incant.

"Belo bilo toranigo, Fluke and shin with out you grint. Light for han and entip. Tip Glow." Ok, really screwed up incantation, but theyit worked, and his plan required that he keep his hands free (so no staff assisted magic).

A soft glowing spot appeared in the air a couple centimeters past his fingertips. The glow was only a centimeter wide, but it shown somewhat brightly with a bluish- white light. A little too brightly for his sake when his friends are sleeping. He squinted his eyes and concentrated, and the light eventually dimmed and changed to a deep red color.

_That'll do even better_, becausehe figured, as it required moregreater concentrationfocus to keep it at half- effect like that.

Ethan loved the light magic. It was among the easiest of Mid-Childan spells to alter, and it applied so well with most other effects. This one, Tip Glow, was one of the first spells he created himself instead of simply manipulating. It was designed for just this purpose, as a spell he had to actively concentrate on maintaining, as well as a means of visibly seeing the effects of changing the amount and concentration of mana he committed to it.

The spell also held itself in the same place just beyond his fingertips, which simply felt better than holding a lamp still while he moved around.

Satisfied with the spell, Ethan began moving into one of the simplest kKata's he knew. He started slow, trying to keep an eye on the precision of his movements, as well as the color of the glow.

_So far so good._

Taking a slow breath, Hhe sped up the kKata a little and added some slightly more complex maneuvers. The glow color shifted slightly towards green, but he caught it and fixed it. A subsequent repeat of that kick-step was met without problem.

He continued on this thread for an hour. Ever increasing difficulty of martial maneuvers, ever increasing concentration to his spell, including at one point a deliberately slow color shift. Every so often he would falter in a step or momentarily loose his hold on the glow, but practice corrected those mistakes. As with any new skill, his ability to perform it seemed to grow exponentially until it hit a plateau, at which point he contented himself to rest before he lost himself in the droll of repetition needed to truly master anything.

He allowedlet the glow die and leaned against a tree, breathing hard and sweating. He didn't think that this kind of light activity would drain him so much. Using both at once must be that much more taxing on the body. Good information.

"That was very pretty," said Luna quietly from where she knelt next to the tent.

Ethan reacted as if he just noticed her, which was true. "I'm sorry. Did I wake you?"

"No, I couldn't sleep anyway. May I join you?"

He sat down and waved her over. She crawled over and curled up next to him, ignoring his sweat. He could feel the warmth of her body despite the flustered state of his own, and it comforted him. "So how are you holding up?" he asked her.

"I'm fine," she said without hesitating. "wWe've only been here a day. That monster was scary, but we handled it., and wWe'll deal with the next one just fine, too,." sShe said. Ethan snorted at that. Luna had the courtesy to be embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean…"

"Nah, it's alright. This is exactly the reason why I'm so closed to failing out, and why I'm trying so hard to improve."

"You would do better if you started using some of your modified spells during training," she said.

"We've been over this," he said with a light chide. "I'm not a licensed developer, so using unapproved magic could get me in trouble."

"Well, what's worse; getting in trouble for doing well? Or struggling pointlessly to do poorly?"

"I…" he had to pause to think about that one. "…that's besides to point!"

"So why not get a license then?" she asked innocently.

"I'm trying that. There's a process to follow though. First I have to take and pass some high level classes, like Quantum Mechanics and Akashic Layer Theory. Then I have to apprentice myself to a Class 3 Developer for at least 6 months before I can test."

"Class 3?"

Ethan looked wistfully towards the east. "Experienced enough to take disciples. Besides which, I know that I don't know enough to pass that test yet. I can't make any spells, simply modify what I already have and even then, only in specific ways. I hope to get my certification some day, but it won't be for a while yet. I just have to learn how to use regular spells more efficiently and creatively in the meantime. That, or improve my martial arts enough to rival the Green Ace."

Luna giggled. "But you don't have 4 arms."

"Not as much of a problem as you might think, but stop trying to change the subject." He gave her a bland look. "I meant, how have you been doing, since… then."

"Oh." She looked down for a moment. "I'm alright. I can't change anything, so I try not to think about it too much. Instead, I've been trying to learn the limits of my new ability."

"I've been meaning to ask about that. What kind of magic is itthat? How does it work?" he looked at her intently.

"Um… I'm not too sure how to answer that." She said pensively.

"Why not? Can you try?"

"Well… it's like… I want something… and it happens. It's really hard to explain."

"…ok, but what _kind_ of magic is it? What can you do, if you want it?"

"That also I'm not too sure about. It's Iice -related at least, but there's more."

"More?"

"I can make ice, even in a dry enviroment. Almost like I'm literally making it out of nothing. I can also put force in the ice, like I threw it, but without actually touching it. It only works for the ice I made, so I don't quite understand."

Ethan thought about that for a moment. "How draining is it? I mean, how much can you do before you run out of magic?"

"I don't know," she said. "I've never felt tired using it before."

Ethan whistled in envy. "I'd like to spend some time with you discovering the limits. It sounds like you really came upon a useful, unique ability."

"I suppose…" she said.

"Don't be like that. You know how much the Bureau treasures unique abilities."

"I suppose…" she said again. A mild yawn broke across her otherwise downcast face. She quickly smothered it with her hand.

Ethan caught it though. "Look, it's still the middle of the night. Why don't you go to sleep now, we can finish our discussion in the morning,. Ook?" he gave her a beaming smile. She acquiesced, and busied herself to move back to the tent.

As Luna started moving, Ethan turned his head to look eastward again, a slightly puzzled look crossing over his face. Luna noticed it, thought it odd, and after confirming her memory of the last day decided to ask about it. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh?" he asked -heartedly.

"You've been looking in that direction almost all day. Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no, it's nothing." He said absently. "It just feels a little warmer that way for some reason." He scratched his chin. "I'm probably still flustered,." Hhe added. His breathing had gone back to normal, sure, but the adrenalin from his earlier workout still flowed in his veins, and his body still dripped from ever producing sweat. "Nothing to worry about. Go to bed now." He ordered.

Luna mulled over that for a split second when a larger, conveniently placed yawn distracted her and she realized that she really was sleepy.

For a few minutes after she laid back down and her breathing slowed, Ethan continued to sit with his head turned to the east, as he concentrated on the illness that he was probably coming down with. Then, when he decided that contemplating like that wouldn't get him anywhere, he snorted and got up to continue practicing.

Next time… Late-night troubles.

**The Misadventures of Jaltie and Grabile**

**Chapter 2 – Making Plans**

Jaltie, the Wind Pixy. - For a pixy younger than onea- hundred years, she held an impressive height of 6 whole inches. Her dress of choice was a one -piece green cheongsam of a simple flat color, open in the back to allow for her wisp-likewhisp-like wings to move unobstructed. Her hair was a shoulder length green that flowed like smoke and naturally, went well with her dress.

In less than four4 years, Jaltie will have experienced her 98th winter, thus allowing for her to undertake the much coveted Ritual of Ascension,; completion would allowing for her to evolve into a full Sylph. Until then, she was still the eldest of the Wind Pixy, and by default the most powerful, and therefore the defacto Leader. Her position would normally give her lots of benefits and responsibilities, such as first dibs on anything and the need to preside over (instead of participating in) the weekly festivals. Jaltie didn't care for any of that.

Grabile, the Earth Pixy - . She is fat from gluttony and slothbeing lazy and eating too much. She wears a flesh- colored jumpsuit, because it's easiest to wear, and frequently scares her peers by casually taking off her supposedly unremoveableirremovable shell in order to change. TheHer shell is a turtle-like half -shell, that looks like aappearing to be a cross between cow droppings and dried mud. Despite it's flakey and fragile appearance, it is as hard as granite. Her hair is a very short yellow.

Grabile is not the eldest of her kind, but she is the strongest. Unlike the age- venerating Wind, Earth appreciates proven strength and toughness. Most of the Earth kind lean towards hardening themselves through training and callousing, but Grabile's blubber made for a surprisingly effective ward against physical blows, which is what made her the proven strongest and aided in her selection as the strongest. Grabile couldn't care about any of that.

"We've been going about this all wrong," announced the Wind pixy suddenly. "You're plan, as expected, is leading us to failure, or in the case of my participation, an unacceptable delay in it's inevitable success."

The Earth pixy didn't comment.

Jaltie crossed her arms in annoyance. "If we had followed my plan, we'd already be finished and I'd be swimming in the riches of my reward. I put up with your stupid plan for a while though, because you're my sister and I patiently amused you by pretending to follow an obviously flawed plan that was doomed to failure from the beginning. Oh what a benevolent older sister I am!"

Grabile remained silent.

"Benevolence has a time and place," she continued, "namely at my whim, but for now, we have a task set for us by our master. So enlighten me, dear sister, . Wwhat is it we have been tasked to do?"

Grabile snored.

"That's right," Jaltie continued, as if she had been answered. "We need to find our big sister, grab a good specimen, and bring them both back to our Master's castle. Currently, these 4 tasks are simple and easily accomplished. There is only one thing precluding our continued tasking."

If she had a hand free, Grabile would have unconsciously scratched her nose. She didn't, so she sneezed, and then went back to snoring again instead.

"Are you even listening to me you imbecile?" the green one asked loudly. "It's your fault we are in this mess, so I'm tasking you with solving it! So without further delay, find a way to cut me down!" The wind pPixy was hanging upside down, her legs and wings held firmly to her body by a mess of white, sticky rope. Her friend was also in a similar predicament a little ways away, but didn't seem to care much in her state of unconsciousness.

The dusty barn finally got to her, but she ignored it. A moment later she sneezed. Because Jaltie is a wind pixy, her sneeze caused a gust of wind to form in the silent barn. Since she couldn't fly without her wings, her gust sent her swinging backwards. "Blast it! I will not put up with this injustice! Don't just hang there you dirty sprite! Answer m-" She was cut off as her backswing took her to smack face first into her partner's shell. Her sneeze earlier was pointed at the Earth Pixy, so the two of them flew away and back into each other like a pair of clackers. To her credit, Jaltie's nose indeed went clack at the impact.

"Ohhhhhh," she groaned in pain. "What did I do to earn this loss of dignity."

Grabile didn't even wake up.

"By the Twain, you look to be in a spot of trouble," came the British accent of a feminine voice above them. "Would you be perhaps inclined to accept my aide of disentanglement?" Jaltie looked up, to see a Very large (from her perspective) spider crawling it's way over the rafters and onto the rope she was caught on. "We are partaking in a feast for supper this eve and it would be my distinct pleasure to have you for it."

"You'll never take us alive!" she said to the rapidly approaching arachnid. She started shaking violently in an attempt to escape. "What are you waiting for? Untie us this minute!" she exclaimed.

The spider was taken aback for a moment. "Does this mean you accept my invitation?" she asked.

"Not on your life," came the quick reply. "We do not need, desire, or want help from the likes of you! Now untie me so that we can go!"

"Why I never…" said the spider after a moment of continued confusion. She moved forward to comply anyway though, figuring the small person to be a little stubborn is all. She immediately jumped back as survival instinct suddenly flared.

Grabile chose that moment to wake up. "Is it time to go?" she asked lazily, and without waiting for an answer she proved that she could open a portal to the Nnevernever without her hands.

Jaltie struggled as they both began to fade. "Wait, no! Not yet you imbecile! Wait until we're freed at leas-…"

The spider hung there speechless as the now severed threads wavered limply in the still air, a single word drifting endlessly into silence. "Curses!"

The door opened up and a young human girl walked in. "What is the bother, Charlotte? Our evening repast is missing not but your presence."

"Ah, tis nothing, child. A moment was all. Shall we?" The speaking spider followed her human friend out of the barn, sparing only a moment to glance back at the spot so recently occupied by so strange an insect.

*1* Oberi is referring to the old gambling game that evolved into Craps. In ancient times, dice were made from bones, so the game held the same name.

A/N. Wow. Almost a year now since I last posted a chapter. Would you believe that I spent almost every single day looking at this page, trying to continue writing it? You should, because that's what I did. When I mentioned my lack of writing talent, it was directed at more than just the poor grammar or the choppy pacing. I am frequently afflicted with a weird variant of Writers Block, to where I know exactly what I want to write, but find that I just can't put it into words. That, and I have ADD. Sorry.

This chapter ended up being twice as long as I figured it could be, so on following some advice, I split it into two. The next one shouldn't take nearly as long to complete. Please Read/Review. Even flames if you must. Not only will I blithely ignore you if you flame me, I'll one up you (by flaming myself even more) and then kick you while you're down by drawing good ideas from your crappy flame!


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